Crime
Nigerian-British Man Sentenced For Defrauding U.S. Entities In Multi-Million Dollar Email Scam
Oludayo Adeagbo, a 45-year-old Nigerian-British man, has been sentenced to seven years in prison in the United States for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) scheme that targeted various entities across the country.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Adeagbo conspired in multiple cyber-enabled fraud schemes aimed at stealing over $3 million from businesses and local government entities in Texas, including a Houston-area college and several construction firms.
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Additionally, he and his co-conspirators allegedly defrauded a university in North Carolina of more than $1.9 million.
Arriving in the U.S. in August 2022, Adeagbo was extradited from the United Kingdom to face criminal charges filed in Charlotte and Houston.
He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on August 8.
The case was transferred from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, emphasized the serious nature of Adeagbo’s actions, stating, “Adeagbo and his co-conspirators perpetrated transnational cyber-enabled fraud schemes that targeted schools, government entities, and companies across the United States, causing millions of dollars in losses.”
She expressed gratitude to the UK government for its cooperation in the extradition process.
Alamdar S. Hamdani, the attorney for the Southern District of Texas, described Adeagbo’s operation as a “sophisticated 21st-century cyber-criminal operation” that relied on fake email accounts and anonymous internet addresses to execute his schemes.
“BEC scams have become an epidemic,” Hamdani noted, highlighting the significant financial losses suffered by victims and the erosion of trust in digital communications.
Business email compromise schemes, often referred to as cyber-enabled financial fraud, involve perpetrators gaining unauthorized access to legitimate email accounts or creating accounts that closely resemble those of targeted individuals or businesses.
The scammers then send false wiring instructions, tricking victims into transferring funds to accounts controlled by the criminals.
The funds are typically quickly moved to other accounts, making recovery difficult.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano State Zonal Directorate, has arrested popular TikTok influencer Murja Kunya for allegedly abusing the Nigerian currency.
According to a statement released on Monday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Kunya was taken into custody for spraying naira notes for fun during her stay at Tahir Guest Palace, a hotel in Kano State.
Her latest arrest follows a dramatic attempt to evade justice after she allegedly jumped administrative bail earlier granted by the commission.
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Kunya was initially arrested in January 2025 for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the national currency.
Although she was granted bail pending her arraignment before the Federal High Court in Kano, she failed to appear in court and instead went into hiding.
“After weeks of intensive investigation and surveillance, EFCC operatives successfully re-arrested the TikTok Influencer on Sunday, March 16, 2025,” the statement read.
Kunya is now in custody at the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, where she is awaiting arraignment.
The commission reiterated its commitment to enforcing laws protecting the integrity of the naira and issued a warning against all forms of naira abuse, including spraying, stamping, or mutilating the currency at social events.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the arraignment of former First Bank of Nigeria Plc chairman, Oba Otudeko, and the bank’s former managing director, Bisi Onasanya, over an alleged ₦12.3 billion fraud.
Justice Aneke, delivering the ruling on Monday, stated that under Nigerian law, a defendant’s plea must be taken before any application or objection can be entertained.
“The issue before the court is whether the processes before the court can be taken before the arraignment of the defendants. Any preliminary objection to the validity of a charge can only be heard after the plea is taken; this is now a condition precedent, and this court is bound by the decision,” the judge ruled.
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The prosecution had opposed any attempt to delay the arraignment, with counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala insisting that legal proceedings must follow due process.
Following the ruling, Otudeko’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), informed the court that all parties, including the prosecution, had met with the Attorney General of the Federation on March 12 to explore an out-of-court settlement.
He urged the court to allow time for discussions, a request supported by other defense lawyers, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), Yinka Fusika (SAN), and Charles Adeogun-Phillips (SAN).
However, the prosecution maintained that the case should either proceed to arraignment or be adjourned for a settlement report.
After hearing both sides, Justice Aneke adjourned the case to May 8 for an update on the settlement discussions or the formal arraignment of the defendants.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a 13-count criminal charge against Otudeko, Onasanya, a former board member of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Soji Akintayo, and a company linked to Otudeko, Anchorage Leisure Ltd.
The EFCC alleged that between 2013 and 2014, the defendants fraudulently obtained ₦12.3 billion from First Bank through multiple transactions, including payments of ₦5.2 billion, ₦6.2 billion, ₦6.15 billion, ₦1.5 billion, and ₦500 million.
A couple, Baba Sule Abubakar Sadiq and Hafsat Kabir Lawal, along with two accomplices, Abdullahi Bala and Ladani Akindele, have been arraigned before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court on charges of fraud, money laundering, and stealing totaling N197,750,000.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought the defendants before the court on Monday, March 9, 2025, on a six-count charge.
They are accused of conspiring to defraud victims by impersonating the wife of the Katsina State Governor, Fatima Dikko Radda, and offering fake foreign exchange deals.
According to the EFCC, Hafsat Kabir Lawal allegedly posed as the Katsina First Lady to lure victims into fraudulent currency exchange transactions.
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Using SIM cards registered under the name “Fatima Dikko Radda” on True Caller, she reportedly contacted a bureau de change operator, Aminu Usman, and convinced him to transfer N89 million in exchange for $53,300.
Investigators further revealed that another victim was defrauded of N108 million under a similar scheme involving a supposed exchange of $118,300.
The funds were allegedly deposited into the bank account of the third defendant, Abdullahi Bala, before being laundered and shared among the conspirators.
Hafsat’s husband, Sadiq, is accused of providing the SIM cards used in the fraud. He allegedly enlisted the help of Ladani Akindele, a former bank colleague, to secure the contact details of Unity Bank Chairman Hafiz Bashir. The contact was then used to gain the trust of the victims.
When the charges were read, all four defendants pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel Bright C. Ogbonna requested a trial date and urged the court to remand them in a correctional facility.
Defense counsels, led by M.S. Katu (SAN), argued for bail, stating they had already filed applications.
However, the prosecution opposed the requests, stating that the applications were not yet ready for hearing. When the defense requested an oral bail application, Justice Bello ruled in favor of the prosecution and ordered the defendants to remain in custody.
The case was adjourned to March 17, 2025, for the hearing of bail applications.
The suspects were initially arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) before being handed over to the EFCC when the case was determined to be financial in nature.
The EFCC has vowed to ensure that justice is served in the case, emphasizing the need for vigilance against fraudulent schemes involving high-profile impersonation.
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