The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, says the Nigerian Consulate in Atlanta has stepped into the case of a Nigerian, Olufolajimi Abegunde, arrested in the United States and has been in detention since June 25, 2018.
Dabiri-Erewa said this in statement by her Media Aide, Abudul-Ramon Balogun, on Monday in Abuja.
She said her office had got more insight into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Abegunde.
The presidential aide said the consulate had written a letter to the US authorities requesting consular access to Abegunde.
She noted that US Department of Justice in June arrested and charged eight people, including Abegunde, with cybercrime and business email compromise conspiracy.
She added: “They were alleged to have defrauded some US Companies and individuals to the tune of $15 million.
“However, Abegunde claimed innocence, saying his address was used by a friend of his, Mr. Ayodeji Ojo, who was apparently being previously charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and is currently at large.
“Abegunde along with the seven others, currently have a criminal case against them in the US, had his detention hearing on June 25.”
Dabiri-Erewa said, however, that when the Nigerian consulate in Atlanta became aware of his detention, it wrote a letter to the West Tennessee Detention Facility in Mason, Tennessee, where he was detained, requesting consular access.
She said: “The consulate in Atlanta is awaiting response for consular access to Abegunde through the US Department of State in Washington.
“The consulate will undertake a consular visit to Abegunde as soon as consular access is granted by the US authorities.”
She warned that the case of Abegunde underscored the need for Nigerians to be careful in how they deal with people, even acquaintances, especially when it comes to financial matters.
Dabiri-Erewa said: “Abegunde’s pleas that his friend, Mr. Ayodeji Olumide Ojo, used his address to open a bank account in a US bank, will hopefully be proved right in court.
“Unfortunately, Ojo, his friend, who has been previously indicted by the US Department of Justice and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud is currently at large.”