The Nigeria Police Force has successfully secured the extradition of a high-profile fraud suspect, Abubakar Muhammed, from the United Arab Emirates over an alleged $307,500 scam.
Muhammed, who had been on the run since 2023, was arrested in Dubai on April 15 and returned to Nigeria on Friday, May 23, through a coordinated international operation. His extradition was facilitated by INTERPOL’s National Central Bureaus (NCB) in Abuja and Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Police, and the Nigerian Consulate General in Dubai.
Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday. He disclosed that Muhammed was placed on INTERPOL’s Red Notice list following a petition filed in July 2023 by an Abuja-based international businessman.
The suspect allegedly posed as a shipping agent and defrauded the complainant of $307,500, claiming he would facilitate the shipment of ten luxury vehicles from the UAE to Nigeria.
“Investigations revealed that Muhammed used a third-party FCMB bank account belonging to a Kano resident, Anas Usaini, to receive the funds,” Adejobi said. “These funds were subsequently funneled through money laundering operations in Dubai.”
After receiving the payment, Muhammed reportedly issued a forged bill of lading to the complainant and disappeared, cutting all lines of communication.
Following months of tracking, authorities arrested him in Dubai, and he has now been extradited to Nigeria to face prosecution at the Federal High Court.
“This extradition marks a significant success in the ongoing fight against transnational financial crimes,” Adejobi stated.
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