The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has requested the assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in apprehending two Nigerian fugitives linked to a $13 million healthcare fraud in the United States. The suspects, Babatunde Shodiya and Yinka Jamiu, were indicted on September 25 by a grand jury at the U.S. District Court of Minnesota for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme targeting healthcare providers between October 2020 and 2024.
An EFCC official, speaking anonymously to Peoples Gazette, confirmed the FBI’s request for cooperation, stating, “The U.S. officials have reached out to us, indicating that the suspects are hiding within Nigeria. We are obligated to honor this request as part of our long-standing collaboration to tackle cross-border crimes.”
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, Shodiya and Jamiu used fake websites and email addresses to exploit Optum Pay, a payment platform widely used by Minnesota healthcare providers. They posed as representatives of Fairview Health, a prominent healthcare entity, deceiving its staff into providing sensitive login information.
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The fraudulent team created a counterfeit website, fairviewhospitals.org, and impersonated key Fairview Health executives, including the CEO and other senior officials, to carry out the wire fraud scheme. The stolen funds, intended for Fairview Health, were redirected into accounts controlled by Shodiya, Jamiu, and their accomplices.
Shodiya faces additional charges of aggravated identity theft for impersonating Fairview Health executives as part of the scheme. U.S. authorities have indicated that, if captured, both suspects would be extradited to the U.S. to face trial, and any assets linked to the fraud would be seized by American authorities.
This case underscores the ongoing collaboration between Nigeria and the United States to combat international fraud and cybercrime, with both countries working to bring the suspects to justice.
As this investigation progresses, the collaboration between the FBI and EFCC is expected to lead to the eventual capture and extradition of the fugitives, highlighting the importance of global cooperation in tackling cross-border financial crimes.
Source: Vanguard News
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