The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has declared Nigerian national Olumide Adebiyi Adediran wanted and placed a reward of up to $10,000 (about ₦14 million) for information leading to his arrest and conviction. Adediran has been on the run for more than two decades, evading capture since late December 2001 when he disappeared just days before his federal trial in Illinois.
The 46-year-old fugitive was facing multiple charges, including bank fraud, identification document fraud, and credit card fraud. According to the FBI, Adediran entered a bank in Champaign, Illinois, in August 2001, where he allegedly attempted to withdraw money using a fraudulent check he had deposited. Investigators further accuse him of using stolen identities of U.S. citizens to open fraudulent bank and credit accounts.
Adediran’s disappearance before trial violated the conditions of his release, prompting the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois to issue a federal arrest warrant on January 2, 2002. The case has since remained open, making him one of Nigeria’s most infamous fugitives abroad.
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The FBI, in a statement shared on its official X account, urged the public to provide credible tips, stressing that the ₦14 million reward will only be paid upon arrest and conviction. The Bureau’s website also describes him as wanted for violation of release conditions, warning that he may still be committing fraud using stolen identities.
Adediran’s case highlights the FBI’s increasing focus on cyber and financial crimes linked to international suspects, particularly Nigerians implicated in fraud networks targeting U.S. institutions. With the reward now public, attention has turned to whether Adediran has been hiding in Nigeria or living under a false identity abroad.
For the FBI, this manhunt represents not only an attempt to bring a long-time fugitive to justice but also a warning that even after twenty years, suspects cannot outrun accountability.
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