Nigerian man arraigned in US after extradition from Benin over alleged $100m identity fraud

• Akinade Adedeji Raheem was extradited from Benin Republic to the US to face charges over an alleged $100 million tax fraud scheme.

• US prosecutors allege that more than 300 fraudulent tax returns were filed using stolen identities between 2018 and 2023.

• Investigators say some proceeds from the alleged fraud were used to buy second-hand cars, including vehicles shipped to Nigeria.

According to a statement released by the US Department of Justice on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Raheem was arraigned in a federal court on Monday, October 26, following his extradition. He was ordered to remain in the custody of the US Marshals Service pending further proceedings.

US prosecutors allege that Raheem worked with Abayomi Quadri Eletu and other co-conspirators to submit more than 300 fraudulent tax returns between 2018 and 2023, seeking over $100 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The scheme involved the use of stolen personal information belonging to American taxpayers and tax professionals, including their names, addresses and Social Security numbers.

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Investigators said the defendants obtained the information by creating online IRS accounts and requesting private taxpayer records. They allegedly used the details to file false tax returns and directed the refunds to prepaid debit cards sent to addresses under their control.

US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said the alleged operation involved hundreds of stolen identities and the laundering of proceeds through financial transactions and purchases.

“Raheem and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained hundreds of stolen identities, filed fraudulent tax returns using that information, and laundered the proceeds through prepaid debit cards and purchases of used cars that were shipped to Nigeria and other locations,” Hertzberg said.

Prosecutors further alleged that Raheem and Eletu used some of the proceeds to purchase money orders in amounts low enough to avoid reporting thresholds. The money orders were allegedly used to buy second-hand cars from auction sites, some of which were shipped to Nigeria, alongside designer clothing and other items.

The case also involves Eletu, a 42-year-old resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, who was separately indicted in February 2026. He was arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings remain pending.

According to the Justice Department, US federal agents attempted to arrest Raheem at his residence in April 2026 but could not locate him. Investigators later learnt that he had booked a flight from Mexico City to Benin Republic.

Raheem arrived in Benin on April 15, 2026, and was arrested by local authorities following an INTERPOL Red Notice. Beninese authorities subsequently extradited him to the United States. The department described the transfer as only the second extradition from Benin to the US in history.

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Raheem on February 24, 2026, on charges including conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, 14 counts of access device fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft.

If convicted, he faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for the fraud conspiracy, 20 years for money laundering and 10 years for access device fraud. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory two-year prison sentence.

However, the Justice Department stressed that the indictment contains allegations and that Raheem is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

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