Nigerian gets 90-month jail term in U.S. over $2.4m fraud

A Nigerian national, James Junior Aliyu, has been sentenced to 90 months in prison in the United States for his involvement in a large-scale wire fraud and money laundering scheme.

Aliyu, who was arrested in South Africa and later extradited to the U.S., was the last of three defendants to plead guilty in the case linked to a business email compromise (BEC) operation.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) disclosed the sentencing in a statement issued on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

In addition to his prison term, the court ordered Aliyu to forfeit $1.2 million and pay $2.4 million in restitution to victims of the fraud. He is also expected to be deported after completing his sentence.

According to ICE, Aliyu participated in a scheme that involved hacking business email accounts to facilitate fraudulent financial transactions.

“He will serve a 90-month sentence for his role in a wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy,” the agency said, adding that the case was handled by Homeland Security Investigations teams in Maryland and South Africa.

Aliyu had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Authorities said he was part of a broader network, with eight other defendants previously convicted in related cases in the District of Maryland.

Court records show that a federal grand jury first indicted Aliyu alongside Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu on June 24, 2019, over their roles in the scheme.

The indictment was unsealed in July 2022 following their arrests outside the United States. All three suspects, Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa at the time, were subsequently extradited to face trial.