The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has extradited a Nigerian man on its Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List to Nebraska, USA.
In a statement, the FBI announced that 37-year-old Abiola Kayode, who had been hiding in Ghana, was extradited to Nebraska to face charges related to cyber fraud. Authorities allege that Kayode was involved in a cybercrime operation that defrauded individuals and businesses in Nebraska and other locations of more than $6 million (₦9.3 billion).
“Kayode, listed among the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminals, is accused of participating in a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme from January 2015 to September 2016. This scheme defrauded businesses in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere of over $6 million,” the statement read.
In August 2019, authorities in Omaha, Nebraska, filed charges against Kayode, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following a U.S. extradition request, law enforcement in Ghana arrested him in April 2023. Ghanaian authorities subsequently approved the extradition, handing Kayode over to FBI special agents, who transported him to Nebraska.
Kayode had his initial court appearance on December 11, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson, who ordered his detention pending trial.
The FBI accuses Kayode of orchestrating a sophisticated BEC scam, where he and his associates impersonated top executives of targeted companies to deceive employees into transferring funds.
“Using email accounts that appeared to belong to legitimate business executives, Kayode’s co-conspirators would instruct employees to initiate wire transfers. Believing the requests to be legitimate, the employees transferred the funds,” the FBI explained.
It is alleged that Kayode provided bank account details to his co-conspirators, directing victims to transfer money to accounts he and his associates controlled. Many of these accounts reportedly belonged to victims of internet romance scams, who were instructed to further transfer the funds to other accounts.
The FBI stated that several of Kayode’s co-conspirators have already been convicted and sentenced:
- Adewale Aniyeloye, responsible for sending fake emails, was sentenced in February 2019 to 96 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,570,938.05 in restitution.
- Pelumi Fawehinmi, a facilitator for bank accounts used in the scheme, received a 72-month sentence in March 2019 and was ordered to pay $1,014,159.60 in restitution.
- Onome Ijomone, involved in internet romance scams, was extradited from Poland and sentenced in January 2020 to 60 months in prison and $508,934.40 in restitution.
- Alex Ogunshakin, who provided bank accounts for the scheme, was extradited from Nigeria and sentenced in October 2024 to 45 months in prison.
Several other co-conspirators remain at large, according to the FBI.
