FBI Arrests Nigerian-American Official for Alleged Fraud in Covid-19 Testing Kit Contract

The FBI arrested Ifediora Oli, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, on April 2 for allegedly defrauding the District of Columbia public transit system through a COVID-19 testing kit contract worth over $500,000. Documents obtained by Peoples Gazette revealed that Oli, 41, hastily arranged travel to Nigeria with his partner and daughter upon learning of the criminal investigation into his handling of a $659,000 contract to supply pandemic testing kits to the District of Columbia’s Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS).

FBI Special Agent Deborah Frye gathered evidence for the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on March 28, leading to Oli’s arrest at his Silver Spring, Maryland, residence on April 2. Oli, employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, allegedly operated his side business, Highbury Global Group, Inc., violating U.S. law.

Oli is accused of collaborating with a longtime friend, co-conspirator One and co-conspirator Two, a contract specialist at the Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP), to secure and profit from the government contract. Co-conspirator two allegedly influenced the selection of Oli’s company for the bid and benefited from it.

The FBI alleges that Oli wired $145,000 to co-conspirator one, instructing them to give co-conspirator two a cash gift as appreciation for their role in winning the contract bid, violating U.S. law prohibiting District employees from benefiting from awarded contracts.

Nigerian-American criminal defence attorney John Iweanoge represents Oli, while U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser is prosecuting the case to demonstrate that Oli deprived the U.S. government of money and honest services.

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