Abu Trica Extradited To US Over $8m ‘Romance Scam’

Abu Trica at the airport

 

Ghanaian socialite Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, was extradited to the United States (US) yesterday where he is wanted for criminal charges including an alleged $8 million conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering targeting elderly Americans.

Multiple reports indicated that he was flown out of the country yesterday morning aboard Delta Airlines flight DL 157, bringing an end to the numerous legal challenges mounted by his lawyers against the extradition process.

Abu Trica has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and faces up to 20 years in prison, according to the US Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio.

According to recently unsealed indictment, Kumi is accused of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) software to assume false identities and form close personal relationships with victims, through social media and online dating platforms, and gain their trust before extorting them of their money and valuables.

A High Court in Accra, on July 2, affirmed the extradition of Abu Trica to the United States to face trial.

This followed the decision of the court to dismiss an application filed by his lawyers challenging the decision of the Gbese District Court which had earlier granted a request by the Attorney General to extradite him to the US for the alleged crimes.

His lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, had confirmed the development on Facebook, describing it as a fast-tracked process and hinted going all the way to the Supreme Court to appeal the decision.

“I am out of Ghana for work. I just heard that the case of Abu Trica has been fast tracked and a judge has just ordered his extradition. Hmmm. FBI 1 – Abu 1. I guess this issue goes to the Supreme Court,” the lawyer wrote.

The lawyers subsequently filed an application seeking to halt the extradition, pending the determination of an appeal against the order.

The application was seeking among others, an order directing that no further steps be taken by the Attorney General, the Minister for the Interior, the Ghana Police Service (INTERPOL), or any other agency “to surrender, extradite, remove, transfer or otherwise deliver” Abu Trica into the custody of the authorities of the United States of America pending the final determination of his challenge against the extradition.

They also filed a notice of appeal to challenge the decision of the High Court.

Abu Trica had been in custody since December last year until April this year when a High Court granted him a bail of GH¢30 million with two sureties who must be justified with landed property.

The decision came as a much-needed relief for Kumi who has been in custody since his arrest in December 2025, through a combined effort of local law enforcement agents and their US counterparts.

His previous attempts to secure bail while the extradition proceeding was pending failed, as multiple High Courts refused all his applications filed by different lawyers.

Abu Trica was rearrested by security officers on July 2 following the High Court’s decision to decline his challenge against the initial extradition order.

 

BY Gibril Abdul Razak

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