The United States has extradited 37-year-old Abiola Kayode from Ghana to the District of Nebraska to face charges related to an alleged $6 million cyber fraud scheme.
The indictment, filed in August 2019, accuses Kayode of conspiracy to commit wire fraud through a sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme that targeted businesses in Nebraska and beyond.
Kayode was arrested by Ghanaian authorities in April 2023 following a request by the United States, and he was subsequently handed over to FBI agents.
On December 11, 2024, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson, who ordered him to remain in custody pending trial.
According to the indictment, Kayode and his co-conspirators posed as top executives of targeted companies, using spoofed email accounts to deceive employees into authorizing fraudulent wire transfers.
Kayode is accused of providing bank account details to funnel the stolen funds, many of which were laundered through accounts belonging to victims of romance scams.
Authorities have already prosecuted several of Kayode’s co-conspirators. These include Adewale Aniyeloye, sentenced to eight years in prison with $1.57 million in restitution; Pelumi Fawehinmi, who received a six-year sentence and was ordered to repay $1.01 million; Onome Ijomone, extradited from Poland and sentenced to five years with $508,934 in restitution; and Alex Ogunshakin, extradited from Nigeria and sentenced to nearly four years in 2024 for his role in the scheme.
FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel expressed a commitment to bringing all members of the cybercriminal group to justice.
“Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding victims and businesses of millions of dollars. Today, Kayode is the second of those co-conspirators to be extradited. To the remaining individuals: we are coming for you,” he said.
Kowel also highlighted the critical role of international cooperation in combating cybercrime. He acknowledged the efforts of Ghana’s Attorney General’s Office, the Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, and the Ghana Immigration Service in facilitating Kayode’s arrest and extradition.
The FBI, in collaboration with its international partners, remains committed to dismantling cybercriminal organizations that prey on U.S. citizens and businesses.
