Nigerian extradited from Benin to US over alleged $100m tax fraud
A Nigerian national, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, has been extradited from Benin to the U.S. to face charges for a $100 million tax fraud scheme. Prosecutors allege he used stolen identities to file hundreds of fraudulent tax returns over a five-year period.
Why it matters
This case underscores the global nature of cyber-enabled financial crime and the effectiveness of international cooperation in law enforcement.
Layer 1 A 43-year-old Nigerian, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, has been extradited from Benin to the United States to face federal charges over an alleged scheme involving more than $100 million in fraudulent tax refund claims using stolen identities.
Raheem was arraigned in a US federal court following his extradition and ordered detained in the custody of the US Marshals Service pending further proceedings, according to the US Department of Justice.
Prosecutors alleged that Raheem and his co-conspirators filed more than 300 fraudulent tax returns between 2018 and 2023, seeking over $100 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said the alleged operation involved hundreds of stolen identities and significant financial losses.
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