NewStats: 3,261,656 , 8,174,655 topics. Date: Thursday, 29 May 2025 at 11:33 PM 6x4l2m

Tacoma – One of two Nigerian citizens residing in Canada, who allegedly defrauded the pandemic unemployment benefit programs in multiple states, made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tacoma this afternoon at 2:00 PM.

Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, was arrested in February 2023, in Frankfurt, , as he traveled back to Canada from Nigeria. Ambali had been detained in pending extradition. He arrived in the Western District of Washington yesterday afternoon.

Ambali and codefendant Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, 45, are accused of using the stolen identities of thousands of Americans to submit over 1,700 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to over 25 different states, including Washington State.

According to the indictment, Lawal and Ambali used the stolen personal information of thousands of U.S. taxpayers and residents to file fraudulent claims for COVID-19 pandemic assistance and false tax returns seeking refunds. In total, the claims sought approximately $25 million, but the conspirators obtained approximately $2.4 million, primarily from pandemic unemployment benefits.

The co-conspirators allegedly submitted claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to more than 25 states including New York, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, California, and Washington. Using 13 Google s they filed some 900 claims. The co-conspirators also allegedly established four internet domain names that they then used for fraud – creating some 800 different email addresses that were used for fraud.

Lawal and Ambali allegedly filed over 2,300 fraudulent income tax returns seeking over $7.1 million in tax refunds. The IRS caught most of the fraud and paid only about $30,000 in fraudulent refunds.

The co-conspirators also attempted to use the stolen American identities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to defraud the Small Business istration.

According to the indictment, the co-conspirators had the proceeds of their fraud sent to cash cards or to “money mules” who transferred the funds according to instructions given by the co-conspirators. They also allegedly used stolen identities to open bank s and have the money deposited directly into those s for their use.

Lawal and Ambali are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, ten counts of wire fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.

Lawal remains in Canada, pending extradition.

The conspiracy and wire fraud counts are punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two years in prison to run consecutive to any other prison time imposed in the case.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The National Unemployment Fraud Task Force provided a lead on this case to the investigative team in Western Washington. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). Also contributing to the investigation were Washington State Employment Security Division (ESD), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Small Business istration (SBA).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy Chang and Seth Wilkinson of the Western District of Washington. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs is assisting.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud.

The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with istering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.

https://gazettengr.com/fbi-arraigns-nigerian-sakiru-ambali-over-25-million-wire-fraud-faces-30-year-imprisonment/

Sakiru ambali


The Igbos are doing drugs , The Yorubas are doing fraud and skull mining

Inside Life

These are Tinubu, Dapo Abiodun, Gbajabiamila and Kashamu protege

When they return, they automatically become leaders in the SW

Future Governors in the South West...

When Hushpuppi returns he may become a rep or Senator Ramon Olorunwa Abbas...

They reward scammers with political offices

Crime does not pay

Good 👍.

I trust FBI, they will surely enjoy their time in jail.

You Japa to a sane county, instead of bending down to hustle,you decide to take to crime.

An opportunity many are praying for.

I would have said you guys should enjoy water beans,but I forgot it's not Nigeria jail .

The druggie brothers painting the country black every time.

LagosFirstSon:
Sakiru ambali


The Igbos are doing drugs , The Yorubas are doing fraud.

Inside Life

the convicted President in aso rock nko? Igbo and Yoruba shared drugs and frauds while Hausa is terrorism and maiming. Removing these three tribes from Nigeria we will have better and united Nigeria

The likes of FreeStuffsNG would have nothing to say about this crime but is fixated on a particular region.

Crime is crime. irrespective of who commits it.

Sakiru again ??

Mindlog:
The likes of FreeStuffsNG would have nothing to say about this crime but is fixated on a particular region.

It’s his people. What do you expect.

Now it is two Yorubas involved in this cyber crime thereby reminding us that criminality knows no race, or geographical divide.

So far his from the South West he can get a political appointment easily,like those guys can vote for anything so far it's yoruba

How many of those you listed have you seen the criminal listed below unlike how you igbos defend cocaine pusher n the likes of Mnesome Ejikeme etc ?!

Mindlog:
The likes of FreeStuffsNG would have nothing to say about this crime but is fixated on a particular region.

Crime is crime. irrespective of who commits it.

MTNnews:
How many of those you listed have you seen the criminal listed below unlike how you igbos defend cocaine pusher n the likes of Mnesome Ejikeme etc ?!

U don't only but u go as far as electing them in political offices in the west..so keep quiet

Noted.

Yahoo no be work no be hustling na thief

Hmm

Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, was arrested in February 2023, in Frankfurt, , as he traveled back to Canada from Nigeria.

They are the one giving the country bad image from fraud to drug lords.

Lanre and Fatiu!

Great Ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Doing Nigeria proud in the field of expertise!!!

I didn't check names, did you?

GodHatesBigots:


https://gazettengr.com/fbi-arraigns-nigerian-sakiru-ambali-over-25-million-wire-fraud-faces-30-year-imprisonment/

They are not from us.

The one with Olanrewaju, borrowed the name.
The rest belong to them.



#Omoluabi

Shameless omo ale

Big congrats to him.

Sakiru Olanrewaju - this same set of people. Disgracing Nigeria all over the world.

crossfm:
Good 👍.

I trust FBI, they will surely enjoy their time in jail.

You Japa to a sane county, instead of bending down to hustle,you decide to take to crime.

An opportunity many are praying for.

I would have said you guys should enjoy water beans,but I forgot it's not Nigeria jail .

They will enjoy something else, their husbands.

( American jail's are also not necessarily enjoyable. Also, all your communicatins are spied on. No privacy)

LagosFirstSon:
Sakiru ambali


The Igbos are doing drugs , The Yorubas are doing fraud and skull mining

Inside Life

And the Hausas and Fulanis doing Boko😁
Ekere ọrụ eke

Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali

I pity your asssssss hole

orohbirodeysmel:
Future Governors in the South West...

When Hushpuppi returns he may become a rep or Senator Ramon Olorunwa Abbas...

They reward scammers with political offices

And drug lord become a political leader in south east too😉. Mention any politician in south east that is not a drug lord?

FBI should come and arrest Tinubu for questioning

They are doing drugs outside Nigeria while their brothers in naija are into skull mining.what kind of tribe is this,tueh.pls I no call name.