Man jailed for online fraud in US

A Nigerian man, Edikan Adiakpan, has been sentenced to two and half years in a federal prison for his involvement in an illegal email scam in the United States.

His jail term will be followed by three years of supervised release according to a judgment delivered by a US District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston.

A press release by the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, on Thursday, revealed that the 35-year-old pleaded guilty on May 12.

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At the hearing, the court heard evidence that from 2020 to 2022, Adiakpan used a company he controlled and advertised as a luxury car service, named “Akama Lifestyle” to transfer funds for fraudsters, keeping a percentage of transferred funds as a fee.

The report added that Adiakpan had temporary legal status to be in the US, as at the time of his arrest.

Biodun Busari is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with five years of experience reporting on human interest, crime, diaspora issues, and feature storytelling. He focuses on producing engaging, informative stories that enlighten the public and provide context on complex topics. Biodun’s work demonstrates hands-on newsroom experience and a strong commitment to accurate, purpose-driven journalism.

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