$3.5m fraud: EFCC extradites FBI-wanted Internet fraud suspect to US

Glory Ebomah

A wire fraud suspect, Fatade Idowu Olamilekan on the wanted list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, was on Thursday, July 14, 2022, extradited to the United States for allegedly stealing over Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars ($3.5M) worth of equipment in various cities across the US.

His extradition was coordinated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, following a notice from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI New York, through the US Legal Attache for his role in impersonating various cities, and states and academic institutions across the United States.

Fatade was indicted by a grand jury in the Southern District of New York for offences of wire fraud, interstate transportation of stolen property and identity theft.

The suspect was arrested on September 30, 2021, by operatives of the EFCC and his extradition trial commenced sometime in November 2021 before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

On May 1, 2022, the Judge granted the request to extradite the suspect to the United States to answer the criminal charges against him.

Upon his arrival in the United States, the suspect is billed to appear before a United States District Court.