The FBI has apprehended Abiola Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, accused of orchestrating a $6 million business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Kayode, who fled to Ghana after the scheme, was extradited to the United States following his arrest in April 2023 by Ghanaian authorities.
United States Attorney Susan Lehr confirmed Kayode’s extradition to Nebraska, where he faces charges of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, filed in August 2019. Kayode had his initial court appearance on December 11, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson, who ordered him to remain in custody pending trial.
Kayode was listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminals list for his role in a sophisticated BEC scheme that defrauded businesses in Nebraska and other locations between January 2015 and September 2016. The scheme involved co-conspirators impersonating executives of targeted companies via spoofed email accounts to deceive employees into authorizing wire transfers.
According to the indictment, Kayode provided bank account details to his co-conspirators, directing the stolen funds into accounts controlled by him and others. These accounts were often tied to victims of internet romance scams, who were manipulated into transferring the funds further.
Several of Kayode’s co-conspirators have already been convicted and sentenced:
- Adewale Aniyeloye, who sent fraudulent emails, received a 96-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $1.57 million in restitution in February 2019.
- Pelumi Fawehinimi, a facilitator of the bank accounts, was sentenced to 72 months in prison and restitution of $1.01 million in March 2019.
- Onome Ijomone, a romance scammer extradited from Poland, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and restitution of $508,934.40 in January 2020.
- Alex Ogunshakin, another co-conspirator extradited from Nigeria, received a 45-month prison sentence in October 2024.
Four other co-conspirators remain at large.
“Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding businesses and individuals of millions,” said FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “Today, Abiola Kayode becomes the second to face trial in Nebraska. To the remaining suspects, we are coming for you. Dismantling cybercriminal groups remains a top priority for the FBI, DOJ, and our international law enforcement partners.”
The FBI credited Ghana’s Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, the Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, and the Ghana Immigration Service for their cooperation in securing Kayode’s extradition.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with critical assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
It is important to note that an indictment is only an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
