Abiola Kayode, a Nigerian national and one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminals, has been extradited from Ghana to Nebraska, United States, to face charges of a $6 million Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud.
Announced by U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr, Kayode is accused of conspiring with others from January 2015 to September 2016 to defraud businesses in Nebraska and beyond.
Using spoofed email accounts, the suspects impersonated company executives and instructed employees to execute fraudulent wire transfers.
Kayode allegedly facilitated the scheme by providing bank account details, often linked to victims of romance scams, to transfer the stolen funds.
The extradition followed Kayode’s arrest in Ghana in April 2023 after a request from U.S. authorities.
He was handed over to FBI agents and appeared in court on December 11, 2024, where Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson ordered his detention pending trial.
Several co-conspirators have already been sentenced.
Adewale Aniyeloye received 96 months in prison with over $1.5 million restitution, while Pelumi Fawehinmi got 72 months and restitution exceeding $1 million. Onome Ijomone was sentenced to 60 months with over $500,000 restitution, and Alex Ogunshakin received 45 months following extradition from Nigeria.
The FBI, in partnership with Ghanaian authorities, reiterated its dedication to combating cybercrime. Special Agent Eugene Kowel warned the remaining suspects: “We are coming for you.”
