A $25,000 bounty has been placed by U.S. authorities on a Nigerian fugitive wanted for a murder trial, urging the public’s assistance in locating him.
The United States has announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Nigerian Olalekan Abimbola Olawusi, who is reportedly on trial for allegedly murdering his child.
According to a statement by Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Don Freeman, which was available on the agency’s website as of Monday, Olawusi has been listed among the 15 most wanted fugitives in the United States.
Freeman mentioned that Olawusi, a resident of Rhodes Island, US, was charged with two offenses: first-degree murder resulting from causing bodily harm to a child and fleeing unlawfully to evade prosecution.
He mentioned that the incident took place on April 3, 2017, when police officers and firefighters discovered a three-month-old child who had been injured in 18 parts of his body. The rescuers found him at the hospital, which led to Olawusi’s arrest.
After his arrest, Olawusi faced charges in court on April 20, 2017. However, once released later that day with the trial still pending, his whereabouts became unknown.
Freeman stated that the infant passed away six months after being hospitalized due to injuries allegedly inflicted by his father’s abuse. As a result, the prosecuting department decided to add a murder charge to the ongoing trial.
He stated that a man, sought in Rhode Island for charges of murder, inflicting serious injury to a child, and fleeing to avoid prosecution, has been added to the U.S. Marshals Service’s list of 15 Most Wanted fugitives. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
Olalekan Abimbola Olawusi, aged 48, faced charges in Providence for first-degree murder and two counts of causing serious bodily harm to a child. This followed an incident on April 3, 2017, when Providence Police and Fire personnel discovered his three-month-old son suffering from mouth and nose bleeding at a home.
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The child was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest and required resuscitation to restore a pulse. A medical examination revealed 18 injuries at different stages of healing, suggesting a history of prolonged abuse. These included a skull fracture, subdural hematoma, severe brain injury, as well as fractures in the ribs, clavicle, legs, and arms. Although placed on life support initially upon hospitalization due to these significant traumatic findings , he sadly passed away six months later after being kept alive through artificial means .
On April 20, 2017, Providence police arrested and charged Olawusi with first-degree child abuse. He was released on the same day but subsequently fled. After the infant’s death on October 31, 2017, a murder charge was added against him.
The US Supervisory Deputy Marshall reported that despite vigorous attempts to track down Olawusi, it was found he had left the country on June 20, 2017. The deputy emphasized that a subsequent investigation uncovered his receiving support from family members in Nigeria.
He mentioned that the suspect has been added to the wanted list due to potential risks he poses to children and other members of the public. The US is committed to using all its resources to ensure he is brought to justice.
Olawusi is sought for the abuse and murder of an innocent child and has left the country in order to evade justice. Consequently, he has been added to our 15 Most Wanted list because of his heinous crimes and ongoing threat to public safety. The USMS will utilize all available resources to ensure he faces justice on behalf of both his family and the community.
Freeman concluded, “Olawusi, also known as Olekun Olawusi, is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs around 185 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. If you have any information about his location, please contact the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-WANTED2 (926-8332) or through the USMS Tips App.”
