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A 34-year-old Nigerian, Adetunji Abudu, has been arrested by United States authorities after returning to the country years after fleeing to Nigeria amid an investigation into an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering operation.
Abudu, a native of Lagos, was apprehended on Monday night at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, while attempting to enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey, according to the US Department of Justice.
Investigators said he left the United States for Nigeria in 2019 following a court-authorised search of his residence in North Providence by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His arrest followed his return to American territory, where he is now facing federal charges.
The Nigerian is among six individuals accused of participating in a money laundering conspiracy involving proceeds allegedly generated through fraudulent activities operated from Nigeria. The alleged victims were primarily elderly Americans who were reportedly targeted through online romance scams, fake prize promotions, fraudulent property listings and deceptive shipping transactions.
Prosecutors alleged that money obtained from the schemes was channelled through bank accounts and businesses in Rhode Island, Idaho and other locations before substantial sums were transferred to Nigeria. Members of the alleged conspiracy were also accused of purchasing vehicles with the proceeds and shipping them overseas.
Five other defendants linked to the case have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. They include Dotun Olawale Alonge, Oluwaseyi Akintol, Samson Ikotun, Olabode Shaba and Oladipup Shodipu. Their sentences ranged from time already served to 42 months in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney John P. McAdams, while the FBI led the investigation with support from the US Postal Inspection Service and police departments in Ohio and Idaho. Abudu has been ordered detained pending trial and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
