US-based Nigerian risks 20 years’ jail over $2.7m fraud

A Nigerian man, Babajide Adesayo, faces up to 20 years in prison after being convicted by a federal jury in the United States for his role in laundering over $2.7 million obtained from victims of romance fraud and other online scams. Adesayo, a resident of Douglasville, Georgia, was found guilty on August 6, 2026, following an eight-day trial.

He was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 16 counts of transactional money laundering, with the offences occurring between April 2020 and September 2021. The victims were allegedly targeted online by fraudsters who posed as friends, business associates, or romantic partners, before requesting money under false pretenses.

The fraudsters directed victims to transfer large sums of money, including retirement savings, into accounts belonging to Adesayo's co-defendant, Efemena Igbe, who then sent most of the funds to Adesayo's overseas accounts. Adesayo was arrested in June 2024 while awaiting trial and has remained in federal custody since March 2, 2026. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2026.