A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the extradition of Nigerian Temitope Seyi Omotade to the United States to face trial on charges including wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on an application filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) seeking Omotade’s surrender to the US District Court for the District of Minnesota.
The judge held that the request met the requirements of the Extradition Act.Omotade is the subject of a superseding five-count indictment (case number 22-CR-24 SRN/HB) filed on February 8, 2022. Counts one to three involve alleged mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy under Title 18 of the US Code, Sections 1341, 1343 and 1349. Each carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
Counts four and five concern aggravated identity theft and aiding and abetting under Sections 1028A(a)(1) and 2, each carrying a maximum of two years, to run consecutively to any other sentence.
The AGF argued that the extradition request was supported by a sealed indictment, a warrant for Omotade’s arrest, diplomatic notes and other certified documents from US authorities. The offences were described as non-political and non-trivial, with no pending criminal proceedings against him in Nigeria for the same matters.
Assurances regarding a fair trial in the United States were also provided.Omotade opposed the application. He denied the allegations and claimed the supporting materials lacked substantive evidence such as financial trails or communications, suggesting possible identity misuse by others.
He further argued that extradition would be unjust because he is receiving specialist treatment for fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis) and elevated liver enzymes.Justice Lifu rejected these objections. He found that the medical evidence did not show Omotade would face grave and unavoidable health risks in the US, where adequate medical care is available.
The judge emphasised that extradition proceedings do not determine guilt or innocence but only whether statutory conditions for surrender have been met. He found no evidence that the request was politically motivated or based on race, religion, nationality or political opinion.The court therefore ordered Omotade’s extradition to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota to face the charges. It also dismissed his bail application filed on September 16.
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