The Nigeria Police Force has successfully secured the extradition of a prominent fraud suspect, Abubakar Muhammed, from the United Arab Emirates.
Muhammed had been eluding capture since 2023 and was extradited to Nigeria on Friday, May 23, after his arrest in Dubai on April 15.
A statement from police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi indicated that Muhammed’s return was made possible through a collaborative effort involving INTERPOL NCB Abuja, INTERPOL Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Police, and the Nigerian Consulate General in Dubai.
Adejobi mentioned that Muhammed was the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice after allegedly defrauding an international businessman based in Abuja out of $307,500 under the guise of shipping luxury vehicles from the UAE to Nigeria.
Investigations indicated that Muhammed utilized a third-party account at FCMB belonging to a Kano resident, Anas Usaini, to collect the funds, which were subsequently funneled through money laundering schemes in Dubai.
Adejobi elaborated, “The case stems from a report made in July 2023 by an Abuja-based international businessman who was deceived by Muhammed, who posed as a shipping agent. Investigations uncovered that Muhammed misrepresented himself and secured a contract to handle payments and the shipment of ten high-end vehicles worth $307,500 from the UAE to Nigeria through authorized shipping companies. After gaining the complainant’s trust, Muhammed deceitfully received the full payment via a third-party account at FCMB owned by Anas Usaini, which was later used for money laundering in Dubai.”
Adejobi confirmed that Muhammed will face prosecution at the Federal High Court.
He added, “Once the payment was made, Muhammed provided the complainant with a forged bill of lading for the vehicles and subsequently became unreachable. He was captured in Dubai on April 15, 2025, and has since been extradited to Nigeria to face charges at the Federal High Court, representing a notable achievement in the ongoing battle against international financial crime.”