Arrested in South Africa and extradited to the United States, Aliyu is the last of three Nigerian defendants in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme that targeted victims between February and July 2017.

The scheme, which involved Aliyu, Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, saw the trio hack email accounts, send fraudulent wiring instructions via “spoofed” emails, and divert funds to “drop accounts” they controlled. 

The intended loss from transactions Aliyu was directly involved in reached $4.16 million, with an actual loss of $1.57 million. Aliyu personally handled $1.19 million of the illicit funds, which were laundered through account transfers, cash withdrawals, and cashier’s checks to obscure their origin.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the plea on August 26, 2025, alongside Homeland Security Investigations’ Evan Campanella. 

Aliyu faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing set for November 24, 2025, before Judge Deborah L. Boardman. 

He is also required to pay a $1.19 million money judgment and $2.39 million in restitution to victims. Eight other defendants in related cases have also pleaded guilty in Maryland.

The investigation, led by HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force, was supported by South African authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, which facilitated the extradition of Aliyu and his co-conspirators. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy is prosecuting the case.