FBI offers $10,000 reward for fugitive Nigerian fraud suspect Olumide Adediran

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Olumide Adebiyi Adediran, a Nigerian national wanted for multiple fraud-related offences.

In a public notice, the FBI said Adediran is wanted for violating conditions of release and faces charges including bank fraud, identity document fraud, and unauthorized credit card transactions.

According to investigators, Adediran allegedly attempted to withdraw funds from a fraudulent check deposit at a bank in Champaign, Illinois, in August 2001. He is also accused of using stolen personal information of U.S. citizens to open bank and credit accounts.

Adediran reportedly fled the Central District of Illinois in December 2001, just before his trial was scheduled to begin. A federal arrest warrant was subsequently issued against him on January 2, 2002, by the U.S. District Court in Urbana.

The FBI said Adediran operates under numerous aliases, including Kevin Olumide Adediran, Eric O. Williams, Maxo Alexandre, Olumide Adkins, and Edward N. Anderson.

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Born on October 11, 1968, Adediran is described as a Black male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He has ties to South Florida and is considered dangerous.

The FBI urged members of the public with credible information to contact their nearest FBI office, American Embassy, or Consulate. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online. The Springfield Field Office is handling the investigation.

The development comes weeks after another Nigerian national, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, was extradited from France to the United States on charges of computer hacking, wire fraud, and identity theft.

U.S. prosecutors allege Amachukwu and his accomplices hacked into tax preparation firms, stole personal data, and filed fraudulent tax returns seeking more than $8.4 million in refunds, of which at least $2.5 million was successfully claimed.

They also allegedly exploited the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, fraudulently obtaining about $819,000.

Amachukwu was arrested in France and transferred to U.S. custody through international cooperation involving the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and French authorities.

The FBI has intensified its hunt for Adediran, urging the public to assist in tracking down the fugitive who has been on the run for more than two decades.