FBI-Wanted ‘Ezeego’ Extradited From Kuje Prison to U.S. Over $100m Fraud Case
Osondu Victor Igwilo, a Nigerian suspect wanted by the FBI and widely known as “Ezeego King of the Boys,” has been extradited from Nigeria to the United States to face charges linked to an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud and money laundering network.
Sources familiar with the development said Igwilo was moved on Monday afternoon from the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja and flown out of the country to the United States to continue legal proceedings against him.
According to insiders, the extradition was quietly executed from the prison facility, where the suspect had been held prior to his transfer.
The source further alleged that Igwilo wielded significant influence while in custody, claiming he maintained control over activities within the prison yard and had close ties with some correctional officials.
It was also alleged that another inmate, identified as Shettima, defrauded Igwilo of over ₦200 million by promising to intervene and stop the extradition process.
Igwilo first came under public scrutiny in March 2022 when operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him during a raid in the Sangotedo area of Lagos State.
At the time, the EFCC said he was arrested alongside three others over allegations of fraud, money laundering, and identity theft involving about $100 million. The Agency also noted that he had been on the radar of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since 2018.
Investigators described Igwilo as the alleged leader of a fraud syndicate operating a network of so-called “catchers” — intermediaries who receive and move illicit funds on behalf of principal fraudsters to conceal their origin.
The EFCC further alleged that the group ran advance-fee fraud schemes in which victims were deceived with fake investment offers and promises of funding, but were required to make upfront payments.
Authorities said members of the network allegedly impersonated officials of financial institutions in the United States, using fake documents and forged seals to make the scams appear legitimate.
In December 2018, U.S. authorities formally charged Igwilo as the alleged mastermind of an international fraud operation targeting victims across multiple countries.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the scheme involved phishing emails, fake investment offers linked to a U.S. bank, and coordinated efforts by a network of operatives who posed as bank representatives.
Proceeds from the alleged fraud were reportedly moved through U.S. accounts, laundered through associates, and later transferred to Nigeria, where some were used to acquire luxury vehicles including Mercedes-Benz and Range Rover models.
He was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft, and was declared a fugitive by U.S. authorities at the time the charges were filed.
