Abiola Ayorinde Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian man, has been extradited from Ghana to the United States to face charges related to his involvement in a $6 million Business Email Compromise (BEC) sc@m.
Kayode, who was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, was arrested in Ghana in April 2023 and has now been flown to the U.S. to stand trial.
Kayode made his first court appearance on December 11, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson, who ordered that he remain detained until his trial begins.
He is accused of conspiring with others in the BEC fraud that took place between 2015 and 2016.
The scam involved hackers impersonating business executives through spoofed emails to trick employees into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts.
According to U.S. authorities, Kayode played a central role by providing the bank accounts that were used to launder the stolen funds.
Some of the money was reportedly funnelled through victims of romance scams, who were unknowingly used to move the illicit funds.
The fraud targeted businesses across Nebraska and several other U.S. states, causing substantial financial losses.
Several of Kayode’s co-conspirators have already been convicted, receiving prison sentences ranging from 45 to 96 months, while others remain at large.
FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel praised the successful extradition, emphasizing the commitment of the FBI and international law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime.
“This extradition marks a significant step in bringing those responsible for this massive fraud to justice,” Kowel said.
The extradition was made possible through collaboration between U.S. authorities and Ghanaian law enforcement, including the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Justice.