FBI extradites Abiola Kayode to US over alleged $6m cyber fraud
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has successfully extradited Abiola Kayode, 37, from Ghana to the United States on charges of alleged cyber fraud involving over $6 million.
A statement from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nebraska, revealed that Kayode, a former fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, was involved in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme between January 2015 and September 2016. The scheme targeted businesses in Nebraska and other parts of the US.
The indictment against Kayode, filed in August 2019, accuses him of conspiring with others to impersonate high-ranking company executives via spoofed emails to trick employees into making fraudulent wire transfers. Kayode is alleged to have provided bank accounts, some belonging to victims of romance scams, to launder the stolen funds.
In April 2023, Ghanaian law enforcement arrested Kayode following a US extradition request. He was subsequently handed over to FBI agents, who brought him to Nebraska, where he appeared in court on December 11. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson ordered that Kayode remain in custody pending trial.
READ ALSO: $20m Cyber Fraud: Nigerian man sentenced to 10 years in U.S prison
Several of Kayode’s co-conspirators have already been convicted. Notable sentences include:
Adewale Aniyeloye, sentenced to 96 months in 2019 with restitution of $1.57 million.
Pelumi Fawehinimi, sentenced to 72 months with restitution of $1.01 million.
Onome Ijomone, sentenced to 60 months after extradition from Poland.
Alex Ogunshakin, sentenced to 45 months in October 2024 following his extradition from Nigeria.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel stated, “Today, Abiola Kayode is the second of six identified co-conspirators to face trial in Nebraska. We are committed to dismantling cybercriminal networks that target US citizens.”
This extradition underscores the FBI’s collaboration with international partners, including Ghana’s Attorney General’s Office, Police Service, INTERPOL, and Immigration Service.
Investigations into the remaining suspects are ongoing as the FBI vows to pursue all perpetrators involved in the scheme.
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