A 32-year-old Nigerian, Olusegun Adejorin, has been convicted in the United States for defrauding two charitable organizations of over $7.5 million and faces up to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed.

According to a DOJ press release cited by DAILY GAZETTE on Saturday, Adejorin was extradited from Ghana and found guilty of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer following a six-day trial in Maryland federal court.

The DOJ stated that between June and August 2020, Adejorin targeted a charity in Maryland and another in New York, using sophisticated tactics to divert funds.

He allegedly accessed employee email accounts, impersonated staff, and manipulated financial transactions to misappropriate money.

“A federal jury convicted Olusegun Samson Adejorin, 32, a Nigerian national, of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information,” the DOJ statement said.

The defendant reportedly registered spoofed domain names to impersonate employees of one charity while requesting withdrawals from the other.

He also intercepted and manipulated emails to falsely authorize the transfers, ultimately diverting more than $7.5 million to accounts not linked to the charities.

U.S Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, alongside FBI Baltimore Field Office Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, praised the investigative work of the FBI and acknowledged Assistant U.S Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and Darren S. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.

Adejorin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of the five counts of wire fraud, five years for unauthorized access to a protected computer, and a mandatory two years, to run consecutively, for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Friday, April 10, 2026.

The DOJ noted that federal sentences often fall below the maximum penalties, as judges consider U.S Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case forms part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide DOJ initiative targeting organized crime, immigration violations, and violent criminal activity.

Iran has executed Aghil Keshavarz, a man convicted of spying for Israel, in what authorities described as the latest death sentence linked to espionage following last June’s brief but intense conflict between the two nations.

The judiciary’s press agency, Mizan, announced on Saturday that Keshavarz’s death sentence was carried out after being upheld by the Supreme Court and following legal procedures.

According to Mizan, he was found guilty of collaborating with Israel’s Mossad, photographing military and security sites, and conducting operations on their behalf.

Keshavarz was arrested between April and May in Urmia, a city in northwestern Iran, and authorities said he admitted to his role during interrogations.

The judiciary detailed that his assignments included photographing sensitive locations, planting tracking devices, conducting opinion polls, and analyzing traffic patterns, all under Mossad direction.

The execution follows a 12-day war that began on June 13, 2025, when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities.

The conflict later escalated when the United States joined Israel in targeting Iranian nuclear sites, before a ceasefire was reached on June 24.

This marked the first open confrontation between the two countries after years of covert operations and sporadic clashes.

Since the ceasefire, Iranian authorities have promised swift trials for individuals accused of collaborating with Israel.

Officials have confirmed multiple arrests and executions of people convicted of working for Mossad.

Iran, which does not recognize Israel, has long accused the country of sabotage, including attacks on its nuclear program and assassinations of Iranian scientists.

In October 2025, Tehran revised its espionage laws, imposing stricter punishments on individuals accused of spying for Israel or the United States, including asset confiscation and the death penalty, measures that were not automatically applied under previous legislation.

The Republic of Benin has placed former defence minister and opposition figure Candide Azannai in pre-trial detention as part of the ongoing investigation into the country’s failed coup earlier this month.

Azannai, a prominent opposition politician, was arrested last week at his party headquarters in Cotonou following the attempted takeover.

Authorities have accused him of plotting against the state and incitement to rebellion, despite Azannai publicly condemning the coup attempt.

The detention follows the arrest of around 30 individuals, mostly soldiers, who were jailed on treason charges after the foiled coup.

On December 7, soldiers briefly announced on national television that they had ousted President Patrice Talon, but loyalist forces quickly regained control with support from the Nigerian air force.

Several people were killed during the uprising, while some mutineers, including alleged coup leader Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, remain at large.

An AFP reporter witnessed Azannai being escorted from Benin’s anti-terrorism court at dawn after several hours of questioning before being taken into custody.

While President Talon has been credited with driving economic growth in Benin, critics accuse him of authoritarian tendencies in a country historically lauded for its democratic governance.

The nation has also faced jihadist attacks in the northern regions in recent years.

Talon is constitutionally required to hand over power in April 2026 after completing his two-term limit.