Law enforcement in the United States has apprehended 34-year-old Nigerian national Adetunji Abudu following a seven-year manhunt connected to an alleged money-laundering operation targeting vulnerable elderly citizens.
The United States Department of Justice said Abudu, from Lagos, was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, on Monday night, October 26, 2026, while attempting to re-enter the country from Istanbul, Turkey.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, Abudu appeared before a federal court on October 21, 2026, and was ordered detained pending trial.
He is one of six defendants named in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Providence, Rhode Island, over an alleged conspiracy to launder millions of dollars obtained through fraud schemes operated from Nigeria.
Prosecutors said the schemes allegedly involved online romance scams, fraudulent sweepstakes, fake rental listings and sham online shipping transactions.
The victims, primarily elderly US residents, were allegedly deceived into sending money, which was subsequently channelled through bank accounts and businesses in Rhode Island, Idaho and other locations, with significant proceeds ultimately transferred to Nigeria.
Members of the alleged conspiracy also reportedly purchased vehicles with proceeds from the schemes and shipped them overseas.
The Department of Justice said Abudu fled the United States for Nigeria in 2019 after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a court-authorised search of his residence in North Providence, Rhode Island.
His arrest follows the guilty pleas of five co-defendants: Dotun Olawale Alonge, Oluwaseyi Akintola, Samson Ikotun, Olabode Shaba and Oladipupu Shodipu.
The five defendants pleaded guilty to money-laundering conspiracy and received prison sentences ranging from time served to 42 months, according to federal prosecutors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney John P. McAdams.
Investigators include the FBI, the US Postal Inspection Service and police departments in Tallmadge, Ohio, and Moscow, Idaho.
The US Attorney’s Office stressed that an indictment is an accusation and that Abudu is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
What You Should Know
Adetunji Abudu’s arrest highlights the severe global crackdown on international cybercrime networks that target vulnerable groups, particularly elderly citizens in Western countries. While federal authorities continue dismantling these multi-million-dollar romance and online fraud rings, the case underscores ongoing international cooperation between agencies like the FBI and foreign law enforcement.
- Positive Impact: Enhanced cross-border security cooperation helps protect vulnerable individuals from sophisticated financial fraud and brings suspected cybercriminals to justice.
- Potential Concerns: The recurring involvement of Nigerian nationals in high-profile international fraud schemes continues to cast a negative shadow on the country’s global image and strict compliance checks for travelers.
