FBI Extradites Most-Wanted Fraudster in $6 Million Business Email Scam
Omaha, Nebraska – The FBI has extradited 37-year-old Abiola Kayode, one of its most-wanted cybercriminals, from Ghana to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kayode was indicted in August 2019 in Omaha, Nebraska, for his alleged role in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme that defrauded businesses of over $6 million.
Kayode was arrested in Ghana in April 2023 after a U.S. extradition request. Ghanaian authorities approved the request, and FBI agents escorted him to Nebraska, where he appeared in court on December 11, 2024. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson ordered Kayode to remain in custody until trial.
The indictment accuses Kayode of participating in a sophisticated cyber scam between January 2015 and September 2016. The scheme involved his co-conspirators impersonating company executives via spoofed email accounts to deceive employees into authorizing fraudulent wire transfers. Victims, believing the emails were legitimate, unwittingly transferred millions of dollars to accounts controlled by the fraudsters.
Several members of the conspiracy have already been convicted and sentenced:
- Adewale Aniyeloye, sentenced in February 2019 to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $1.57 million in restitution.
- Pelumi Fawehinimi, sentenced in March 2019 to six years in prison and restitution of $1.01 million.
- Onome Ijomone, extradited from Poland, sentenced in January 2020 to five years in prison and restitution of $508,934.
- Alex Ogunshakin, extradited from Nigeria, sentenced in October 2024 to 45 months in prison.
Despite these successes, other co-conspirators remain at large.
“Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding businesses and individuals across Nebraska and other states,” said FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “Today, Abiola Kayode is the second co-conspirator extradited to Nebraska. To the remaining four, know this: we are coming for you.”
Special Agent Kowel commended the collaboration between U.S. and Ghanaian law enforcement, highlighting the contributions of the Ghana Police Service, INTERPOL, and Ghana Immigration Service.
The case, investigated by the FBI and supported by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to dismantling international cybercrime rings.
Kayode remains innocent until proven guilty in court.
