From Academia to Prison: Nigerian Professor Bags 70 Months Over $1.4m U.S. Child Feeding Scam
A Nigerian professor based in the United States has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for stealing more than $1.4 million meant to feed underprivileged children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The convict, identified as Professor B. Sonya Ajayi, was sentenced by a U.S. federal court after investigators found that she fraudulently obtained and diverted funds from a program designed to provide meals for needy children across Minnesota.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Ajayi orchestrated a scheme through a non-profit organization that falsely claimed to be serving thousands of meals daily to children from low-income families.
Authorities said the claims were fabricated, while millions of dollars in federal reimbursements were siphoned for personal gain.
In a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice, prosecutors described the fraud as “a betrayal of public trust and a theft from children in need.”
Court documents revealed that the professor submitted fake meal counts, falsified attendance records, and fraudulent invoices to secure payments from the Federal Child Nutrition Program.
Investigators further disclosed that large sums of the stolen money were diverted into luxury purchases and private accounts.
The case formed part of a wider federal investigation into what American authorities described as one of the largest COVID-19 relief fraud schemes in the United States.
Reacting to the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger said the convict “exploited a national crisis and stole funds intended to help feed children during one of the most difficult periods in recent history.”
The 70-month prison sentence will be followed by supervised release, while the court also ordered restitution running into millions of dollars.
The scandal has continued to generate outrage both in the United States and among Nigerians online, with many condemning the abuse of humanitarian funds meant for vulnerable children.
