Adepoju Babatunde Salako, identified as the Philadelphia coordinator of the pro-government group “Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria – From Promises to Progress,” has been sentenced to 18 months in prison in the United States after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
Salako, 33, was sentenced by a U.S. federal court this week after admitting to orchestrating a scheme to defraud the Alaska Department of Revenue through the state’s Permanent Fund Dividend program in 2022.
The Permanent Fund Dividend pays annual benefits to eligible Alaska residents using revenue from the state’s oil resourceS.
According to court filings, Salako stole the personal identifying information of legitimate Alaska residents and used it to submit seven fraudulent applications for dividend payments. He never lived in Alaska and had not visited the state until he appeared for sentencing.
Prosecutors said Salako created multiple fake email accounts tied to his victims and used them to gain unauthorized access to at least seven “myAlaska” online profiles, the state’s official portal for PFD applications. Once inside, he changed contact details and banking information to redirect payments to accounts he controlled.
The scheme targeted the 2022 dividend cycle. Authorities said Salako’s actions were part of a calculated operation involving identity theft and digital manipulation. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges before being sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.
Salako was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and publicly identified himself as the U.S. coordinator for Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria, a grassroots group that promotes President Bola Tinubu’s administration and its Renewed Hope Agenda. The group’s slogan, “From Promises to Progress,” has been used at rallies and online campaigns supporting the president.
The conviction has drawn attention in Nigeria and among diaspora groups, with some critics pointing to it as an embarrassment for the Tinubu support movement abroad. Others argue the case is an individual criminal matter and should not be used to discredit the wider group or its political advocacy.