Nigerian Cybercrime Kingpin Pleads Guilty in U.S $6m Fraud Scheme

BY favour momodu
September 2, 2025
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A Nigerian national, James Junior Aliyu, has pleaded guilty to his role in a multi-million-dollar cybercrime scheme in the United States, federal prosecutors have confirmed.

Aliyu, 30, who resided in South Africa at the time of his crimes, admitted to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a $6 million business email compromise (BEC) scheme.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Aliyu was extradited from South Africa after being arrested alongside other co-conspirators.

His guilty plea makes him the last of three principal defendants to admit culpability in the international fraud case.

Eight other defendants had previously pleaded guilty in related cases tied to the same conspiracy, which prosecutors said targeted businesses and individuals by hacking email systems and diverting payments.

“Business email compromise schemes not only cause devastating financial losses to victims but also undermine trust in global commerce,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes while announcing the development on August 26, 2025, alongside Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Baltimore.

The indictment against Aliyu and his co-defendants, Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, 30, and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, 31, was originally filed on June 24, 2019.

The three, all Nigerian nationals living in South Africa at the time, were accused of laundering millions through foreign accounts and shell companies.

Federal authorities unsealed the indictment on July 6, 2022, following the arrests of the defendants outside the United States. All were subsequently extradited to face trial in Maryland.

Aliyu now awaits sentencing, where he faces a possible lengthy prison term and restitution orders. His conviction underscores growing international cooperation in tackling cyber-enabled fraud, which U.S. authorities describe as one of the fastest-growing financial crimes worldwide.