FBI Offers $5,000 Reward for Nigerian Woman Who Disappeared Before Starting Eight-Year Prison Sentence
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 allegedly disappeared after failing to report to a United States federal prison to begin serving an eight-year sentence for her involvement in a romance fraud scheme.
The 46-year-old Nigerian 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 announced the reward on its official wanted persons website, identifying Hall as a fugitive wanted for violating her bond conditions by failing to surrender for the commencement of her prison sentence.
According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Hall was ordered to report to her designated correctional facility in Minnesota on or before March 25, 2026, but failed to appear.
Investigators said data from her electronic monitoring device placed her last known location at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24, a day before her scheduled prison reporting date. The device subsequently stopped transmitting.
Hall had earlier provided her probation officer with flight details for her planned journey to Minnesota. However, airline records indicated that she did not board the scheduled flight.
A federal arrest warrant was issued against her on March 31, 2026, by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The case took another turn on October 23, when a federal grand jury indicted her for failing to report to the Bureau of Prisons to serve her sentence. The indictment was announced by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana on October 28.
The FBI said Hall was born in Nigeria on October 10, 1980, and also uses the names Emuobosan E. Hall, Emuobosan Emanuella Erih and the alias ‘Mobo’.
The agency identified her connections to Warri, Oleh and Abuja in Nigeria, as well as London, Gloucester and Croydon in England and Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States.
How the romance fraud scheme operated
Hall’s original conviction stemmed from a romance fraud operation that targeted mostly older women across the United States.
According to the Department of Justice, members of the criminal network created false identities, posing as military generals, philanthropists and entrepreneurs living outside the United States.
They established relationships with victims through social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, before persuading them to move their conversations to WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging platforms.
After gaining their trust, the fraudsters allegedly requested money under various false pretences, including claims that the funds were needed for charitable activities or to assist sick relatives.
Hall and her co-defendant, Kenneth G. Akpieyi, used a company known as Le Beau Monde LLC to facilitate the operation.
Court records cited by the Department of Justice showed that Hall deposited money obtained from victims into accounts operated 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 of the scheme.
Her co-defendant, Akpieyi, was found responsible for losses exceeding $3.5 million and was sentenced to 25 years in prison following his conviction after a four-day jury trial in July 2025.
Hall’s eight-year sentence was imposed by US District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo in January 2026.
Additional prison sentence
Beyond her existing sentence, Hall faces up to 10 additional years in federal prison if convicted of the separate charge of failing to report to serve her sentence.
The Department of Justice said the additional prison term would run consecutively to her earlier sentence. She could also face a fine of up to $250,000 and supervised release of up to three years.
US Attorney David I. Courcelle said authorities would continue efforts to locate Hall and pursue anyone suspected of helping her evade the commencement of her prison sentence.
The FBI is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to her arrest.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts has been urged to contact the FBI through its toll-free number, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit information through its official online tip portal.
