A 37-year-old Nigerian, Abiola Kayode, who had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, has been extradited from Ghana to the District of Nebraska, United States where he faces charges related to an alleged $6 million cyber fraud scheme.
This followed a conspiracy to commit wire fraud indictment filed against him in August 2019.
A statement from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nebraska, on Thursday, stated that Kayode was arrested in April 2023 by Ghanaian authorities.
The BEC scheme, which defrauded businesses in the District of Nebraska and beyond of over $6 million, was filed as a case in Omaha, Nebraska, in August 2019.
“In April 2023, law enforcement authorities in the Republic of Ghana arrested Kayode pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. Ghanaian authorities ultimately granted this request and surrendered Kayode to FBI special agents who brought him to the District of Nebraska.
“Kayode had an initial appearance on the Indictment on December 11, 2024. United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson ordered Kayode to remain detained pending trial.”
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According to the indictment, Kayode’s co-conspirators posed as the chief executive officer, president, owner, or other executive of the targeted company.
Kayode and his co-conspirators allegedly used spoofed email accounts to make it appear as though they were sent by the company’s true business executives, directing employees or recipients to complete wire transfers.
Authorities alleged that Kayode supplied bank account details used to funnel illicit funds, with many of these accounts belonging to victims of internet romance scams who were coerced into transferring the stolen money.
Several of Kayode’s co-conspirators have already been brought to justice, including Adewale Aniyeloye, sentenced to 96 months in prison and $1.57 million in restitution in February 2019; Pelumi Fawehinimi, who received a 72-month sentence and $1.01 million in March 2019; Onome Ijomone, extradited from Poland and sentenced to 60 months with $508,934 in restitution in January 2020; and Alex Ogunshakin, who was sentenced to 45 months in October 2024 after being extradited from Nigeria for providing bank accounts used in the scheme.
Speaking in a statement, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding individual victims and businesses in Nebraska and other states of millions of dollars.
“Today, Abiola Kayode is the second of those co-conspirators to be extradited to stand trial in Nebraska. Our message to the remaining four co-conspirators; we are coming for you. Dismantling cyber-criminal groups that victimize U.S. citizens is a priority for the FBI, DOJ, and our international law enforcement partners.
“The FBI, working together with our partners in Ghana, particularly the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, the Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, and the Ghana Immigration Service, will continue to pursue and bring to justice criminals who engage in Business Email Compromise and other fraud schemes.”
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