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US-based Nigerian pleads guilty to $50m fraud
A United States-based Nigerian, Animashaun Adebo, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy over his involvement in a series of business email compromise and romance scams that resulted in more than $50m in losses.
A statement obtained by PUNCH Metro on the US DoJ website on Tuesday said that Adebo, also known as “Kazeem” and “Kazeem Animashaun,” entered a guilty plea on Monday at a federal court in Brooklyn.
The statement noted that Adebo and his co-conspirators orchestrated multiple fraudulent schemes targeting individuals and small businesses across the United States, particularly within the Eastern District of New York.
The statement read, “Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Animashaun Adebo, also known as ‘Kazeem’ and ‘Kazeem Animashaun,’ pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for his role in a series of fraudulent business email compromise and related romance schemes that resulted in more than $50 million in losses by individuals and small businesses located within the Eastern District of New York and throughout the United States.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators misappropriated victim funds and laundered them through shell company accounts in the United States and abroad, sometimes using unsuspecting middlemen to further obscure the fraudulent source of the funds.”
The statement explained further that the syndicate misappropriated victims’ funds and laundered them through shell company accounts both within and outside the US, sometimes using unsuspecting intermediaries to conceal the origin of the funds.
It added that investigations revealed that the group carried out business email compromise schemes between April 2021 and March 2022.
As part of the schemes, victims involved in real estate transactions received fraudulent emails impersonating legitimate parties, directing them to transfer funds to designated accounts.
“As one part of the BEC schemes, victim-individuals involved in real estate transactions received fraudulent emails purporting to be from legitimate parties to those transactions. The emails instructed them to wire funds they believed to be related to the real estate transactions to specified bank accounts.
“The fraudulent email accounts that contacted the victims closely resembled but were slightly different from the email addresses of the legitimate parties to the transaction (a process known as ‘spoofing’).”
Similarly, employees of targeted companies were deceived into transferring funds after receiving emails that appeared to come from trusted vendors or business partners.
In each instance, funds transferred by victims were diverted into accounts controlled by Adebo and his associates.
The statement further disclosed that Adebo laundered part of the proceeds through the purchase of luxury watches and via an illegal money exchange operation run by his co-defendant, Idowu Ademoroti, who has already been convicted and sentenced.
“As another part of the BEC schemes, employees of victim companies received fraudulent emails purporting to be from legitimate vendors or other business partners of those companies directing them to transfer funds to specified bank accounts.
“In each case, after the victims executed the wires in accordance with the fraudulent instructions, the transferred funds were misappropriated from the victims and sent to and through accounts controlled by the defendant and his co-conspirators.”
It added that Adebo ultimately received part of the fraudulent proceeds through corporate bank accounts located in Nigeria.
According to the statement, another defendant linked to the scheme, Nelson Ojeriakhi, was arrested in Paris and extradited to the US in July 2025. He pleaded guilty in November 2025 and is awaiting sentencing.
It added that the fourth suspect, Noguan Eboigbe, remains at large.
“The defendant further laundered illicit proceeds through the purchase of luxury watches and through an illegal money exchange operation run by his co-defendant Idowu Ademoroti, who was previously convicted and sentenced to a term of incarceration for his role in the scheme. Adebo ultimately received fraudulent proceeds in corporate bank accounts located in Nigeria.
“A third defendant, Nelson Ojeriakhi, also a Nigerian national, was arrested in Paris, France, and extradited to the United States in July 2025.
“Ojeriakhi pleaded guilty in November 2025 and is pending sentencing, while a fourth defendant remains at large,” the statement concluded.
In a related development, another US-based Nigerian, Ifeanyi Ugwu, is facing up to five years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business involving more than $5m in illegally obtained funds.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, Eric Grant, had stated that Ugwu, 49, of Bakersfield, admitted to running the illegal operation between December 2020 and August 2023.
A middle-aged man has been arrested over alleged involvement in gruesome murder of his employer, a Pentecostal Bishop of End-reconciliation Ministry Asaba, Delta State.
The suspect was said to have also attempted to dispose of the deceased Toyota Prado Jeep in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State before his arrest.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday while briefing newsmen, Commissioner of Police, State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu said the suspect was arrested together with his accomplice alleged to be the buyer of the stolen vehicle.
The vehicle of the murdered Bishop
He said the stolen vehicle was also recovered from the suspects during the operation.
According to Orutugu, “The breakthrough followed a swift intelligence-led operation by Operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, which led to the arrest of the suspect and another individual alleged to be the buyer of the stolen vehicle.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect, who served as the Bishop’s driver and domestic staff, allegedly conspired with yet-to-be-identified criminal elements to murder the cleric before fleeing with the victim’s Prado Jeep to Anambra State for sale.
“Police Operatives, acting on credible information, tracked and intercepted the suspects in Nkpor, successfully recovered the stolen vehicle, and took them into custody for further interrogation.”
According to CP, investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal gang involved in the incident and fully unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate murder.
He advised residents to exercise due diligence in the recruitment and management of domestic staff, drivers, and other household employees.
Orutugu also urged members of the public to properly profile and verify the identities of persons employed in their homes and establishments, while also remaining vigilant to suspicious behaviours and activities.
“We assure the public that the Command remains committed to proactive policing, intelligence-driven operations, and collaboration with sister security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property across the State.
While speaking to newsmen, the bishop’s driver said, “immediately we arrived home and my boss asked me to open the gate, I didn’t know that some people were trailing behind us.
“One of them rushed me, ordered me to lie down and marched my head and hit it with the gun. They went inside and met my master.
“They threatened to kill me if I raise alarm or call the police. They asked me to contact someone from Onitsha who will buy the vehicle. The buyers came this morning and took the vehicle.”
A personal driver of a Pentecostal bishop of End-Reconciliation Ministry in Asaba, Delta State, has been arrested for allegedly killing his employer and fleeing with his vehicle, a Toyota Prado Jeep.
The driver, whose identity has yet to be disclosed due to ongoing investigations, was arrested alongside another suspect in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, while attempting to sell the vehicle.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Ikioye Orutugu, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command’s headquarters in Awka, on Wednesday, adding that the suspect murdered the cleric before fleeing with his vehicle to Anambra to sell.
Orutugu said the arrest followed a swift intelligence-led operation by operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, which led to the arrest of the suspect and another individual alleged to be the buyer of the stolen vehicle.
He said the driver conspired with some criminal elements still at large, to kill his employer, adding that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal gang involved in the incident and fully unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate murder.
He said, “The operatives of the Anambra State Police Command arrested a domestic staff member allegedly involved in the gruesome murder of his employer, a Pentecostal Bishop of End-Reconciliation Ministry in Asaba, Delta State, and the subsequent attempt to dispose of the victim’s Toyota Prado Jeep in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“The breakthrough followed a swift intelligence-led operation by Operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, which led to the arrest of the suspect and another individual alleged to be the buyer of the stolen vehicle.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect, who served as the Bishop’s driver and domestic staff, allegedly conspired with yet-to-be-identified criminal elements to murder the cleric before fleeing with the victim’s Prado Jeep to Anambra State for sale.
“Police operatives, acting on credible information, tracked and intercepted the suspects in Nkpor, successfully recovered the stolen vehicle, and took them into custody for further interrogation.”
The CP stated that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal gang involved in the incident and fully unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate murder.
Orutugu advised the public to exercise due diligence in the recruitment and management of domestic staff, drivers, and other household employees.
He urged members of the public to properly profile and verify the identities of persons employed in their homes and establishments, while also remaining vigilant to suspicious behaviours and activities.
“We assured the public that the Command remains committed to proactive policing, intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with sister security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property across the State,” the CP added. (The PUNCH)
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering offences.
A source within the anti-graft agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, disclosed on Wednesday that Abdullahi was arrested in Abuja and is currently in the custody of the commission.
According to the source, the alleged fraud involves funds estimated at N500bn.
“We have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, for money laundering offences. He was arrested and is currently in our custody. The money Is to the tune of N500bn,” the official said.
Efforts to get confirmation from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as he could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.
President Bola Tinubu had on October 24, 2023 appointed Abdullahi as Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria.
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