The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted an extradition request ordering the surrender of a Nigerian national, Temitope Seyi Omotade, to the United States to face trial over a five-count indictment bordering on wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft.
​Delivering judgment during the morning court session on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the application filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) satisfied all statutory and legal requirements for extradition.
Consequently, the court ordered Omotade’s transfer to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, where a superseding five-count criminal indictment is pending against him. In the same ruling, the court dismissed a bail application filed by the respondent on September 16, 2026.
​During the proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Omotade contested the extradition application on multiple grounds. He denied all allegations of wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft, maintaining that his relationship with an individual named Roxanne Gilbert involved no criminal conspiracy or digital proceeds.
​Omotade’s legal counsel challenged the reliability of the supporting documentation submitted by U.S. authorities, suggesting that his client’s identity might have been misused by third parties. Furthermore, his lawyer argued that Omotade was undergoing specialist medical treatment for fatty liver disease and elevated liver enzymes, warning the court that transferring him to the United States could severely compromise his health.
​In rejecting the defense’s objections, Justice Peter Lifu emphasized that extradition proceedings are not designed to determine a respondent’s guilt or innocence in advance, nor to strip them of legal protections, but rather to verify judicially whether statutory conditions for surrender have been met.
​Addressing the medical objections, Justice Lifu held that the evidence presented failed to establish that extradition would expose Omotade to serious and unavoidable health risks, noting that adequate specialist medical facilities are available in the United States. The judge also found no evidence to suggest that the U.S. request was politically motivated or intended to persecute the respondent based on his race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs.
​”The objections raised by the respondent do not, on the evidence and arguments presented, constitute sufficient grounds for refusing the application. Accordingly, an order is hereby made extraditing the respondent, Temitope Seyi Omotade, who is a subject in a superseding five-count indictment referred in this case, to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, United States of America,” Justice Lifu declared.
​The court affirmed that Omotade will retain his full legal right to contest the allegations and defend himself in accordance with the criminal procedures applicable in the United States.
