A 37-year-old Nigerian man, Abiola Kayode, has been extradited to the District of Nebraska in the United States following an indictment for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud filed in 2019.
Kayode, who appeared on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, was arrested in Ghana in April 2023 and later handed over to FBI special agents for transport to the US.
He had his initial court appearance regarding the indictment on December 11, 2024, during which US Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson ordered him to remain detained pending trial.
Accused of involvement in a $6 million business email compromise (BEC) scheme between 2015 and 2016, Kayode allegedly assisted in defrauding businesses by providing bank accounts used in the operation.
The scheme involved co-conspirators impersonating company executives through spoofed emails, deceiving employees into wiring funds. Victims of romance scams were reportedly exploited to launder money through their accounts.
Several co-conspirators have already been convicted, receiving sentences ranging from 45 to 96 months in prison, while others remain at large.
In a statement, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said: “Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding individuals and businesses in Nebraska and other states out 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 is clear: we are coming for you. Dismantling cyber-criminal groups that prey on U.S. citizens is a top priority for the FBI, DOJ, and our international law enforcement partners.
The FBI, in collaboration 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 those engaged in Business Email Compromise and other fraud schemes.”
