Somalia extradites key suspect in US $250-million pandemic fraud

MOGADISHU, June 27, 2026 – Somalia's intelligence agency has arrested and extradited a Somali citizen wanted by the United States for his alleged role in a massive $250-million pandemic relief fraud scheme, officials said.

Abdikerm Eidleh, 42, was apprehended in the capital Mogadishu in a joint operation between the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

US prosecutors allege Eidleh was a key figure and the "second-in-command" in a network that siphoned off millions of dollars intended for a federal children's nutrition program called "Feeding Our Future" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eidleh had been on the run since September 2022, when he was indicted by a US federal grand jury on charges including theft of public funds, wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering. He is accused of creating several shell companies to funnel at least $5 million in federal funds to himself.

"Somalia is not a safe haven for criminals," said Christopher Dotson, the FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis field office, adding that the arrest demonstrates that American justice has a global reach.

Following his capture in Mogadishu, Eidleh was immediately flown back to the United States, where he will face trial in a federal court.

The "Feeding Our Future" case is considered one of the largest pandemic-related fraud schemes uncovered in the United States, involving dozens of defendants accused of exploiting relaxed oversight during the health crisis to line their own pockets.

GAROWE ONLINE