Nigerian Internet Fraudster Ehiremen Aigbokhan Accused of Stealing ₦460 Million Meant for Trump Inauguration

In a stunning revelation, the FBI has confirmed that Nigerian internet fraudster Ehiremen Aigbokhan orchestrated a ₦460 million cyber scam targeting funds meant for Donald Trump’s 2025 presidential inauguration.

The elaborate scheme, executed from Lagos, Nigeria, involved sophisticated email spoofing and cryptocurrency laundering.

A civil forfeiture complaint filed in a U.S. District Court detailed how Nigerian internet fraudster Ehiremen Aigbokhan exploited a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme to impersonate top officials on the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. The fraudster used a nearly identical domain—@t47lnaugural.com—to deceive a major donor into transferring over 250,000 USDT.ETH, a dollar-pegged cryptocurrency on the Ethereum blockchain.

The funds, valued at more than ₦460 million at the time, were quickly dispersed to multiple digital wallets in an effort to obscure the transaction trail. However, the FBI intercepted the movement and froze the affected accounts on December 31, 2024, with the help of crypto firm Tether.

Further investigation traced the fraudulent activity to Nigeria, where login records repeatedly linked the cyber heist to Lagos. A major breakthrough came when the digital wallet receiving the stolen funds was tied to a Binance account opened by Nigerian internet fraudster Ehiremen Aigbokhan in October 2024. The wallet showed no prior deposit history until the stolen funds appeared, raising immediate red flags.

The U.S. Department of Justice has already seized more than 40,000 USDT.ETH (over ₦60 million) from wallets connected to the scam. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock Jr. is now pushing for a court order to permanently forfeit the seized digital assets.

Authorities are working to secure an arrest warrant and possible extradition, while Nigerian internet fraudster Ehiremen Aigbokhan remains wanted for cybercrime, wire fraud, and money laundering. The FBI has warned that further arrests could follow as the investigation continues.

The case has reignited global concern about Nigeria’s reputation as a hub for digital fraud. It also emphasizes the growing need for stronger cybersecurity in political fundraising, especially in the digital age where one email typo can cost millions.

With the Trump-Vance inauguration just weeks away at the time of the attack, Nigerian internet fraudster Ehiremen Aigbokhan nearly disrupted a major U.S. political event—highlighting the urgent need for international cooperation to combat cross-border cybercrime.