Abiola Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian previously listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminals, has been extradited from Ghana to Nebraska, United States, to face charges related to a $6 million email fraud scheme.
According to the FBI, Kayode was apprehended in Ghana and brought to Nebraska, where he now faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson.
The FBI revealed that Kayode and his co-conspirators orchestrated internet romance scams and business email compromise (BEC) schemes. Victims were deceived through fraudulent emails that impersonated company executives and directed recipients to wire funds to accounts controlled by the group.
“Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding individuals and businesses in Nebraska and other states of millions of dollars,” said Eugene Kowel, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge. “Today, Abiola Kayode is the second of those co-conspirators to be extradited to Nebraska to stand trial.”
The scam involved spoofed email accounts to impersonate high-ranking executives, tricking employees into authorizing large wire transfers. Kayode reportedly supplied bank account information used to facilitate the fraud, often targeting victims of romance scams.
Several members of the group have already been convicted and sentenced:
- Alex Ogunshakin, extradited from Nigeria, was sentenced to 45 months in prison in October 2024 for providing bank accounts used in the scheme.
- Onome Ijomone, extradited from Poland, served as a romance scammer. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison in January 2020 and ordered to pay $508,934.40 in restitution.
- Pelumi Fawehinimi, who facilitated bank accounts, received 72 months in prison in March 2019 and was ordered to pay $1,014,159.60 in restitution.
- Adewale Aniyeloye, who sent spoofed emails to businesses, was sentenced to 96 months in February 2019 and ordered to pay $1,570,938.05 in restitution.
Kayode’s extradition marks another significant step in the ongoing effort to dismantle cybercriminal networks targeting individuals and businesses globally.
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Opeoluwa Benson – Content Researcher
