Adetunji Abudu: Alleged Internet Fraudster Arrested at Boston Airport 7 Years After Fleeing US
- U.S. authorities arrested Adetunji Abudu, 34, at Logan Airport in Boston as he attempted to re-enter the country from Istanbul, Turkey
- Abudu fled to Nigeria in 2019 after the FBI searched his residence and remained a fugitive for seven years before his capture
- He is one of six defendants charged in a federal indictment alleging millions of dollars were laundered through romance scams and other fraud schemes
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A Nigerian man wanted by U.S. federal authorities for nearly seven years has been arrested at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, after attempting to re-enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey.
Source: Getty Images
Adetunji Abudu, 34, of Lagos, Nigeria, was taken into custody on Monday night and appeared before the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island on 21 October 2026, where he was ordered detained pending trial, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island.
Abudu's role in the alleged fraud conspiracy
Abudu is among six defendants named in a superseding federal grand jury indictment returned in Providence.
The indictment alleges that the group laundered millions of dollars derived from a network of fraud schemes run from Nigeria, with elderly Americans as the primary targets.
Victims were allegedly deceived through online romance scams, bogus sweepstakes offers, fabricated rental listings, and fraudulent online shipping transactions.
The funds collected were reportedly routed through bank accounts and businesses in Rhode Island and Idaho before being transferred to Nigeria.
The conspiracy also allegedly involved purchasing vehicles with illicit proceeds and shipping them abroad.
Abudu's flight from the U.S. began in 2019, when he left the country after the FBI carried out a court-authorised search of his residence in North Providence.
The five remaining co-defendants — Dotun Olawale Alonge, Oluwaseyi Akintol, Samson Ikotun, Olabode Shaba, and Oladipup Shodipu — subsequently pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy.
Their sentences ranged from time served to 42 months in prison.
The case involving the alleged internet fraudster is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The FBI led the investigation, with support from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and police departments in Tallmadge, Ohio, and Moscow, Idaho.
The Instagram post announcing the arrest of Adetunji Abudu is below:
Abudu's arrest draws attention on social media
The arrest drew significant commentary online, with many users noting the inevitability of capture given modern biometric screening at international borders.
YEN.com.gh compiled some reactions from social media users below:
@officialbadboyslimlism145 wrote:
"Once your name is flagged, no matter how long, they will wait for you."
@simplymisi observed:
"Wanted to test their biometric database system. He got the answer."
@za200221 added:
"Biometric, even if you change the name, thumbprint, iris and facial scanner will detect you."
FBI arrests 9 suspected fraudsters in Nigeria
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported about the FBI’s Operation Blackout, including the arrest of nine suspects in Nigeria and the seizure of 53 electronic devices as authorities target international scam networks accused of defrauding Americans.
The global crackdown also identified $11 million in potentially freezable funds across several countries, while investigators warned that some people detained in related operations may themselves have been victims.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
