Nigerian Man Wanted by FBI for $6 Million Fraud Extradited to the US
Omaha, Nebraska — Abiola Ayorinde Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian, has been extradited to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection to a $6 million Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme.
Kayode, who had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, was apprehended in Ghana in April 2023. Following his arrest, he was handed over to FBI agents and transported to the U.S. to answer to an indictment filed in 2019.
The suspect made his initial court appearance on December 11, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson, who ordered his detention pending trial.
According to the FBI, Kayode is alleged to have participated in a sophisticated BEC scheme between 2015 and 2016. The operation involved co-conspirators impersonating company executives through spoofed emails to deceive employees into transferring funds. Kayode is accused of providing the bank accounts used to launder the stolen money.
In addition, victims of romance scams were reportedly coerced into laundering money through their accounts, further complicating the fraud network.
Several of Kayode’s alleged co-conspirators have already been convicted, receiving prison sentences ranging from 45 to 96 months. However, four suspects remain at large.
In a statement, Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Omaha Field Office, emphasized the ongoing efforts to dismantle cybercriminal organizations targeting U.S. businesses and individuals.
“Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding individual victims and businesses in Nebraska and other states of millions of dollars,” Kowel said. “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.”
Kowel also commended the collaboration between U.S. and Ghanaian authorities, including the Ghana Police Service, INTERPOL, and the Ghana Immigration Service, in securing Kayode’s extradition.
The FBI has reiterated its commitment to combatting cybercrime and ensuring justice for victims of fraud schemes. Kayode’s trial date is yet to be announced.
