FBI places $10,000 bounty on Nigerian Olumide Adediran over bank fraud allegations
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $10,000 (about N14 million) for credible information leading to the arrest and conviction of Nigerian national, Olumide Adebiyi Adediran, who has been on the run for more than two decades.
Adediran fled the United States in late December 2001, just days before his federal trial was scheduled to begin in the Central District of Illinois. He was facing several fraud-related charges, including bank fraud, identification document fraud, and credit card fraud.
According to details published on the FBI’s official website, Adediran is wanted for Violation of Conditions of Release, having absconded while on bond. A federal arrest warrant was subsequently issued for him on January 2, 2002, in the U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, Urbana.
The FBI alleged that in August 2001, Adediran attempted to withdraw money from a bank in Champaign, Illinois, using a fraudulent check.
He was also accused of exploiting stolen personal information belonging to U.S. citizens to open bank and credit card accounts.
“The FBI offers a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Olumide Adebiyi Adediran,” the Bureau stated on its wanted fugitives page.
The agency further noted that Adediran deliberately evaded justice by absconding before trial, making him a fugitive for over 20 years.
Court documents indicated that Adediran’s alleged crimes were part of a larger scheme that posed significant risks to financial institutions and unsuspecting victims whose identities were compromised. Investigators say his fraudulent activities left a trail of losses and disrupted several accounts.
The Bureau has urged members of the public with information about Adediran’s whereabouts to come forward, assuring confidentiality. The $10,000 reward, it said, will only be issued upon his arrest and conviction.
Adediran, who remains at large, is among several international fugitives actively being tracked by the FBI. His case highlights the persistence of law enforcement agencies in pursuing fraud suspects regardless of the passage of time.
