Unofficial source has revealed to ElombahNews that more than 500 Nigerians have turned themselves in at the Embassy of the United States of America in Abuja asking to be extradited to face charges in the ongoing Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] prosecution about 80 Nigerians suspected of fraudulent activities.

According to the source, the US FBI said it will seek the extradition from Nigeria of the remaining 66 suspects indicted recently.

However, already, more than 500 Nigerians have reported at the US Embassy to turn themselves in.

According to the source, all of them came with valid Identities and bags ready to travel to face the U.S. prosecutors.

ElombahNews had reported that FBI prosecutors announced a 252-count indictment that accuses 80 people in the U.S. and Nigeria of participating in a “massive conspiracy to steal millions of dollars through a variety of fraud schemes.”

Search warrants were executed at multiple locations across L.A. County on Thursday morning.

The defendants allegedly laundered the funds through a Los Angeles-based money laundering network.

Eleven of them were arrested Thursday in Southern California, while three others were taken into custody elsewhere in the U.S., according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Two were already in federal custody on other charges, and one was arrested earlier this week. The remaining defendants are believed to be abroad, most of them in Nigeria, authorities said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has asked Nigerians indicted in the massive email fraud and money laundering scandal in to turn themselves in voluntarily or be extradited to face judgement.

She expressed sadness over the development in a statement but, nonetheless, expressed hope that they would be given fair hearing during trial.

She stated: “We acknowledge the fact that accusation does not mean guilt, and we hope that all the accused will be given fair and speedy trial.

“We also ask those accused in Nigeria to voluntarily turn themselves in, to American authorities to clear their names, without which the Nigerian government would extradite them if relevant international treaties between the two governments are invoked.”

Reacting to the statement, the former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission [NHRC], Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, said that the statement “is impressively silly”, warning Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa that “running govt is more than inane press statements”.

Odinkalu proffered that when citizens are subject to foreign legal process, they are entitled to consular assistance which is the first thing.

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