Abidemi Rufai, Ramon Abbas… high-profile Nigerians jailed abroad for crimes

Many prominent Nigerians have faced legal battles beyond the country’s borders, which have led to high-profile convictions and prison sentences.

From politicians to athletes, socialites and business tycoons, these figures were entangled in corruption scandals and financial crimes.

These cases have served as reminders that influence, and power do not grant anyone immunity, and no one is above the law in foreign lands.

The Times of Abuja found out that several Nigerians have been jailed overseas due to criminal offences.

Ike Ekweremadu

Ike Ekweremadu, a former deputy senate president, was sentenced to nine years and eight months at the United Kingdom’s (UK) central criminal court. In 2023, the former senator was jailed over an organ harvesting plot involving a young man who was trafficked to the UK for his kidney. 

Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice, wanted a new kidney for daughter Sonia, and trafficked their victim, a poor street trader in Lagos to the UK.

Beatrice was jailed for four years and six months due to her more limited involvement. Dr Obinna Obeta, a medical doctor, who served as the middleman, was sentenced to 10 years after the judge found he had targeted the potential donor who was young, poor and vulnerable.

Abidemi Rufai 

Abidemi Rufai was a special assistant to the governor of Ogun state when he was prosecuted and sentenced.

In 2022, Rufai was sentenced to five years in prison by the US District Court in Tacoma for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his attempt to steal nearly $2.4 million from the United States government, including approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits

He was said to have succeeded in defrauding 12 US agencies of $600,000 paid out into bank accounts controlled by him.

Ramon Abbas

Popularly known as Hushpuppi, Ramon Abbas, a notorious Nigerian social media influencer was jailed in November 2022 for more than 11 years in the US for his role in an international fraud syndicate. He was linked to numerous cyber fraud operations.

According to the US attorney’s office, Central District of California, Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in June 2020 and has remained in federal custody since his expulsion from the UAE.

The attorney’s office described Abbas as “a prolific international fraudster who conspired to launder tens of millions of dollars through a series of online scams and flaunted his luxurious, crime-funded lifestyle on social media”.

Hushpuppi claimed he had only made $300,000 from the crime he was being tried for. However, he was still sentenced to 135 months in a federal prison.

Abdulrahman Bashar

Abdulrahman Bashir, a Nigerian oil mogul and the chief executive officer (CEO) of Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Limited,  was first sentenced to 10 months imprisonment in the UK.

Bashir was imprisoned for breaching multiple orders of the court in a pending suit instituted by Sahara Energy Resources Ltd. He was sentenced for continually breaching the order of a UK court in 2019

That is not all, he was also sentenced to a year in prison for financial crime involving his dealings with CI Energy Company, an oil and gas firm, in 2025.

He was sentenced for issuing seven cheques with a combined value of 126.45 million dirhams, drawn on an Emirates Islamic Bank account with a mismatch in his signature.

Obinwanne Okeke

Obinwanne Okeke, known in Nigeria as Invictus Obi, was sentenced in February 2021 to 10 years in prison for his “involvement in a computer-based intrusion fraud scheme that caused approximately $11 million in known losses to his victims”.

“Through subterfuge and impersonation, Obinwanne Okeke engaged in a multi-year global business email and computer hacking scheme that caused a staggering $11 million in losses to his victims,” said Raj Parekh, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Invictus Obi was celebrated as an entrepreneur with investments in real estate development, energy, and construction in Nigeria.

James Ibori

The former governor of Delta who served between 1999 and 2007, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in the UK for money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) enlisted the assistance of Interpol after the former governor fled Nigeria in April 2010 while facing corruption charges. Interpol caught him in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and extradited him to the UK, where a case of massive corruption and money laundering had been compiled against him.

He allegedly embezzled over $78.5 million in state monies and contributed to the late Umaru Yar’Adua’s election as Nigeria’s president in 2007.

After serving half of his term prior to and following his conviction, Ibori was freed in December 2016 and returned to Nigeria in early 2017. 

Akinkunmi Amoo

A Danish court sentenced a former Golden Eaglets star and FC Copenhagen of Denmark forward Akinkunmi Amoo to one year in prison for sexual assault. But after serving the jail-term, his new club, Omonoia Nicosia, announced the termination of his contract.

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the first civilian governor of Bayelsa, who gained notoriety for building extravagant public works and embezzling as much as $55 million in oil ministry revenue, spent it on luxuries and homes around the world.

After retiring from the air force, he served as governor of Bayelsa between 1999 and 2005. Former President Goodluck Jonathan succeeded him following his impeachment.

He lost his governorship position when he dramatically surfaced in Nigeria and was impeached by the Bayelsa state house of assembly. His subsequent prosecution by the EFCC resulted in a plea bargain after he pleaded guilty to theft of public funds and money laundering.

Alamieyeseigha pleaded guilty on July 26, 2007, before a Lagos high court to six charges and was sentenced to two years in prison for each. He spent most of his prison term in a hospital while most of his assets also got confiscated.

He forfeited money and property to the government, and got a two-year jail sentence in 2007.  He reportedly spent no more than two days in the cage post-sentence, having been held in detention for two years since his apprehension.

In March 2013, Alamieyeseigha was pardoned by former President Jonathan, who was his deputy during his time as governor, but his pardoning was criticised by many, including the United States government.

He died in October 2015 of cardiac arrest at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers state.