South Africa: No Evidence Nigerian Scammer Named Chinonso Amadi Was Arrested By Retired Fbi Agent in South Africa

11 February 2026
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Precious Ewuji

IN SHORT: According to several social media posts, James Benzon, an alleged retired FBI agent, has arrested a Nigerian national named Chinonso Amadi for stealing money from a client. But there is no evidence to support this claim.

"A retired FBI agent, James Benzon, took it upon himself to track down a Nigerian scammer who stole $520,000 from a client," begins a post on Facebook.

The post, dated 5 February 2026, includes two images: one of a man in a plane, and another of three people who appear to be law enforcement officers apprehending a man.

It also says: "The suspect, Chinonso Amadi, a Nigerian national residing in Ballingo, South Africa, was apprehended with the assistance of South African authorities and is currently being extradited to the United States."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, is a US government agency tasked with investigating and combating crimes such as terrorism, corruption and human trafficking.

Since 2025, officers from the US Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement have arrested dozens of Nigerians as the government has tightened its immigration policies, which include arresting those labelled as "criminal aliens".

But is there any truth to this claim? We checked.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. X @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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