FBI Offers ₦7m Reward for Nigerian Fraudster Who Disappeared at Atlanta Airport Before 8-Year Jail Term
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a $5,000 reward, equivalent to approximately ₦7 million, for information leading to the arrest of Emuobosan Emmanuella Hall, a 46-year-old Nigerian citizen and US permanent resident accused of fleeing before beginning an eight-year prison sentence.
Hall was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment by US District Judge Jane Milazzo in January 2026 for her role in a romance-fraud scheme. She was ordered to surrender to the Federal Bureau of Prisons by March 25, 2026, but allegedly failed to comply.
Investigators said data from Hall’s electronic monitoring device showed that her last known location was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24, 2026, after which the device stopped transmitting.
Hall had reportedly informed her probation officer that she was scheduled to fly to Minnesota, where she was expected to serve her sentence. However, airline records allegedly showed that she never boarded the flight.
A federal grand jury subsequently indicted her on October 23, 2026, for failing to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons. An arrest warrant has also been issued.
How the Romance-Fraud Scheme Worked
Hall had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud victims, mostly older women, through romance scams.
According to court documents, members of the criminal network allegedly posed online as military generals, philanthropists and entrepreneurs to establish romantic relationships with unsuspecting victims before persuading them to send money under false pretences.
Hall and her co-defendant, Kenneth Akpieyi, allegedly used a company, Le Beau Monde LLC, to process funds obtained from victims.
Hall admitted responsibility for losses totalling $851,207, while Akpieyi was held responsible for more than $3.5 million and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
If convicted of the new charge of failing to surrender, Hall could face up to 10 additional years in prison, potentially served consecutively to her existing sentence.
The FBI’s reward offer underscores the agency’s efforts to locate Hall and bring her before the court to answer the new charge.
Note: The allegations concerning Hall’s failure to surrender relate to a separate charge from her earlier romance-fraud conviction. The stated reward of $5,000 is approximately ₦7 million, depending on the prevailing exchange rate.
