A 34-year-old Nigerian man, Adetunji Abudu, has been arrested at an airport in the United States after returning to the country seven years after fleeing to Nigeria amid an investigation into an alleged fraud and money-laundering scheme.
Abudu, a native of Lagos, was apprehended at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, while attempting to enter the US from Istanbul, Turkey.
According to the US Department of Justice, he was subsequently ordered to remain in detention pending trial after appearing before a federal court in Rhode Island.
Prosecutors allege that Abudu was among six defendants involved in a conspiracy that generated millions of dollars through fraudulent schemes targeting elderly Americans.
The alleged operations involved online romance scams, fake sweepstakes, fraudulent rental advertisements and sham online shipping transactions.
Investigators said money obtained from victims was allegedly channelled through bank accounts and businesses in Rhode Island, Idaho and other locations, with substantial proceeds transferred to Nigeria. The indictment also alleges that vehicles were purchased with proceeds from the schemes and shipped overseas.
The Justice Department disclosed that Abudu left the United States for Nigeria in 2019 after the FBI conducted a court-authorised search of his residence in North Providence.
Five other defendants linked to the case have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and received prison sentences ranging from time served to 42 months.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney John P. McAdams, following an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the US Postal Inspection Service and police departments in Ohio and Idaho.
The US authorities stressed that the charges against Abudu remain allegations and that he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
