U.S. Attorney Susan T. Lehr | U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney Susan Lehr has announced the extradition of Abiola Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, to Nebraska. Kayode faces charges related to a Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud Indictment filed in August 2019 in Omaha, Nebraska. His arrest took place in April 2023 by law enforcement authorities in Ghana following a U.S. request for extradition. Subsequently, Ghanaian authorities granted this request and handed over Kayode to FBI special agents who transported him to Nebraska. He made his initial court appearance on December 11, 2024, where United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson ordered his detention pending trial.
Kayode was listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List due to his alleged involvement in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme between January 2015 and September 2016. This scheme reportedly defrauded businesses in Nebraska and other locations of over $6 million. According to the indictment, co-conspirators impersonated company executives through spoofed email accounts and directed employees or recipients to execute wire transfers under false pretenses.
The allegations against Kayode include providing bank account information used by co-conspirators for these fraudulent activities. The funds were allegedly transferred into accounts controlled by Kayode and others, often involving victims of internet romance scams who were misled into further transferring the money.
Several of Kayode's associates have already faced legal consequences. Adewale Aniyeloye received a sentence of 96 months imprisonment with restitution orders totaling $1,570,938.05; Pelumi Fawehinimi was sentenced to 72 months with $1,014,159.60 restitution; Onome Ijomone was sentenced to 60 months with $508,934.40 restitution after being extradited from Poland; Alex Ogunshakin received a sentence of 45 months following his extradition from Nigeria.
FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel stated: “Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding individual victims and businesses in Nebraska and other states of millions of dollars... Our message to the remaining four co-conspirators; we are coming for you."
This case involved an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with significant assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs concerning Kayode’s extradition.
An indictment is an allegation only; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
