The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been enlisted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help locate and arrest two Nigerian nationals, Babatunde Shodiya and Yinka Jamiu, who are accused of defrauding medical facilities in Minnesota of $13 million.
A grand jury in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota indicted Shodiya and Jamiu on September 25, citing their involvement in a large-scale fraud conspiracy that targeted healthcare providers between October 2020 and 2024.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger revealed that the accused allegedly manipulated Minnesota’s healthcare payment system, Optum Pay, by setting up fake websites and email accounts. They impersonated executives of Fairview Health, a prominent healthcare provider, using fabricated domains and email addresses to steal login information from staff.
Shodiya and Jamiu reportedly created a fraudulent website, fairviewhospitals.org, to pose as top hospital executives, including the CEO, executive vice president, and a business analyst. These actions allowed them to divert over $13 million in payments meant for Fairview Health to accounts controlled by them and their accomplices.
In addition to wire fraud, Shodiya is also charged with aggravated identity theft for impersonating Fairview Health executives.
Luger stated, “Babatunde and Jamiu orchestrated a scheme that deceived healthcare companies and fraudulently transferred millions meant for Fairview Health to their accounts.”
The FBI confirmed that the suspects are Nigerian citizens residing in Nigeria and has requested the EFCC’s assistance. A source within the EFCC, speaking anonymously due to the ongoing investigation, confirmed the request, stating, “We have a duty to honor this request, given our long-standing collaboration with the U.S. in tackling cross-border crimes.”
Once apprehended, Shodiya and Jamiu will be extradited to the U.S. to stand trial, with any assets linked to their criminal profits also being seized.
