The United States Department of Justice announced the arrest in a statement issued on Monday, October 26, 2026.
According to the statement, Abudu was arrested last Monday night at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, while attempting to re-enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey.
He appeared before the US District Court in Rhode Island on October 21, 2026, and was ordered to remain in detention pending trial.
Abudu is one of six defendants named in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Providence, Rhode Island. The indictment alleges that the defendants participated in a money laundering conspiracy involving millions of dollars obtained through various fraud schemes operated from Nigeria.
The alleged schemes primarily targeted elderly residents of the United States, who were deceived through online romance scams, fraudulent sweepstakes, fake rental listings and sham online shipping transactions.
According to the indictment, money obtained from victims was channelled through bank accounts and businesses in Rhode Island, Idaho and other locations before significant portions of the proceeds were transferred to Nigeria.
Members of the alleged conspiracy were also accused of using proceeds from the fraudulent activities to purchase vehicles, which were subsequently shipped overseas.
The US Department of Justice said Abudu fled the United States for Nigeria in 2019 after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a court-authorised search of his residence in North Providence, Rhode Island.
His arrest brings him back before the US judicial system to face the allegations outlined in the indictment.
Five other defendants named in the case have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. They are Dotun Olawale Alonge, Oluwaseyi Akintol, Samson Ikotun, Olabode Shaba and Oladipup Shodipu.
The five co-defendants received prison sentences ranging from time served to 42 months’ imprisonment, according to the statement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney John P. McAdams.
Investigations were conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the US Postal Inspection Service and the police departments of Tallmadge, Ohio, and Moscow, Idaho.
The case highlights the challenges confronting law enforcement agencies in investigating alleged financial crimes that cross international borders, particularly schemes involving online deception, the movement of illicit funds and the transfer of assets between countries.
Authorities allege that the defendants used different methods to deceive victims and move the proceeds through financial accounts and businesses before transferring substantial sums abroad.
Online romance scams typically involve fraudsters establishing deceptive relationships with victims before requesting money, while fraudulent sweepstakes schemes persuade victims to pay fees or provide financial information to claim prizes that do not exist. Fake rental advertisements and sham shipping transactions can similarly be used to obtain money under false pretences.
The allegations against Abudu and his co-defendants remain subject to the US judicial process. Abudu is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
