UK-Based Nigerian Faces 25 Years in Prison as U.S. Extradition Over $235K University Hack Moves Forward.

UK-Based Nigerian Faces 25 Years in Prison as U.S. Extradition Over $235K University Hack Moves Forward.

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Farouk Adekunle Adepoju, a Nigerian national residing in the United Kingdom, has been arrested by British authorities following a formal extradition request from the United States.

The arrest, which took place on September 15, 2025, stems from a seven-count federal indictment filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Adepoju is accused of orchestrating a sophisticated cyberattack that defrauded a U.S. university of over $235,000.

According to court documents, the alleged offenses occurred between March and April 2023.

Prosecutors claim Adepoju infiltrated the email system of a construction firm contracted by a Pennsylvania university.

He reportedly manipulated internal email settings and created a deceptive email account, which he used to trick the university into transferring $235,266.80 into a fraudulent bank account.

The stolen funds remain unrecovered.

Although Adepoju resides in the UK, the crime targeted U.S. institutions and financial systems, giving American prosecutors jurisdiction.

Under the U.S.-UK extradition treaty, the United States can request the arrest and transfer of individuals accused of crimes that impact American entities—even if those individuals are abroad.

British authorities reviewed the evidence and detained Adepoju pending extradition.

He faces six counts of wire fraud and one count of computer fraud.

If convicted, he could receive up to 20 years for wire fraud and an additional 5 years for computer fraud, totaling a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

The FBI emphasized that cybercriminals operating overseas are not beyond their reach.

“If criminals think they can scam people in the U.S. from overseas and get rich doing it, they should think again,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent Kevin Rojek.

Adepoju remains in custody in the UK, awaiting extradition proceedings.

Yetunde B reports for Yeyetunde’s Blog.