FBI OFFERS $5,000 REWARD FOR WANTED NIGERIAN WOMAN

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of a Nigerian woman, Emuobosan Emanuella Hall, who failed to report to a United States federal prison to begin serving an eight-year sentence for her role in a romance scam.

Hall, 46, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment in January 2026 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

The FBI listed her on its wanted persons website on Friday, saying she was wanted for violating her bond conditions by failing to surrender to serve her sentence.

“The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of Emuobosan Emanuella Hall,” the agency said.

In a statement, the FBI added, “Emuobosan Emanuella Hall is wanted for failing to surrender for service of a sentence in Louisiana. In April of 2024, Hall was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with her role in a romance scam in which she laundered funds from numerous victims.

“She was arrested in Georgia and released on bond. She later pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced in January of 2026 to 96 months in federal prison. In March of 2026, Hall failed to appear at the facility where she was to serve her time as ordered.

“A federal arrest warrant was issued for Hall in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 31, 2026, after she was charged with Bond Violation—Failure to Surrender for Service of a Sentence. She was then charged by criminal complaint on April 14, 2026, with failure to appear for service of a sentence and indicted on October 23, 2026, for the same charges.”

The FBI said Hall was born in Nigeria and has links to Warri, Oleh and Abuja. It also listed London, Gloucester, and Croydon in England, as well as Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, as locations with which she has ties.

She is also known by the aliases Emuobosan E. Hall, Emuobosan Emanuella Erih, and “Mobo.”

According to a statement issued by the US Department of Justice on Wednesday, members of the scheme met victims on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, and posed as generals, philanthropists, or entrepreneurs living outside the United States.

They reportedly established romantic relationships with the victims before persuading them to send money under false pretences, including claims that the funds were needed for charitable activities or sick relatives.

Hall and her co-defendant, Kenneth G. Akpieyi, allegedly used a company, Le Beau Monde LLC, to facilitate the scheme. Hall deposited money obtained from victims into accounts held in the company’s name before transferring the funds to other financial institutions, including foreign banks.

Hall admitted responsibility for $851,207 in losses suffered by victims, while Akpieyi was found responsible for losses exceeding $3.5m. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2025.

The FBI said Hall’s last known location, based on data from her electronic monitoring device, was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24, 2026, where the device stopped transmitting.

According to the agency, Hall had informed her probation officer that she planned to travel to Minnesota, where she was expected to serve her sentence. However, airline records showed that she did not board the scheduled flight.

If convicted of the failure-to-report charge, Hall faces up to 10 additional years in prison, to be served consecutively to her existing sentence. She could also be fined up to $250,000.

The FBI urged anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact the agency on 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit information through its tips website.

Hall was earlier reported to be wanted in the United States after failing to report to prison in April 2026.