Now Reading: FBI Offers $10,000 Reward for Nigerian Suspect Wanted for Bank Fraud
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FBI Offers $10,000 Reward for Nigerian Suspect Wanted for Bank Fraud
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has placed a $10,000 bounty on Nigerian national, Olumide Adebiyi Adediran, wanted in connection with multiple fraud-related charges in the United States.
The 56-year-old faces charges of bank fraud, credit card fraud, and identity document fraud linked to incidents that occurred in Illinois in 2001. According to the FBI, Adediran allegedly attempted to cash fraudulent cheques and used stolen identities of U.S. citizens to open bank accounts.
Authorities said he fled the Central District of Illinois in December 2001, just before his federal trial was due to begin, and has remained a fugitive for nearly 24 years. A federal arrest warrant was subsequently issued on January 2, 2002, after he was declared to have violated the conditions of his release.
“The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Olumide Adebiyi Adediran,” the agency said in a statement, urging members of the public to come forward with tips.
The bureau described Adediran as standing 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing around 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He reportedly has ties to South Florida and is known to use several aliases, including “Kevin Olumide Adediran,” “Eric O. Williams,” “Maxo Alexandre,” “Olumide Adkins,” and “Edward N. Anderson.”
Investigators believe he could still be living under a false identity, and the FBI has encouraged anyone with information to contact its nearest field office, the local U.S. embassy, or consulate.
The agency emphasised that all tips will be treated with strict confidentiality as efforts intensify to bring him to justice after more than two decades on the run.
Adediran’s case underscores a long-standing challenge faced by U.S. authorities in tracking fugitives who cross borders, evade prosecution, and resurface years later under new identities.
The FBI is hoping that the reward offer will generate new leads and help close one of its longest-running fraud cases.
