FBI Arraigns Damilola Bamigboye, Over Alleged Abduction of U.S. Immigration Officer

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arraigned a 24-year-old Nigerian national, Damilola Bamigboye, on multiple federal charges, including resisting arrest and abducting a federal law enforcement officer attached to the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

 

Ejes Gist News reports that U.S. authorities said Bamigboye was under active surveillance for allegedly overstaying his student visa when an arrest operation on December 10 escalated into a high-risk incident involving the temporary detention of a federal agent in Minnesota.

 

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Surveillance Operation Turns Violent

According to court filings unsealed after the arraignment, HSI agents had been monitoring Bamigboye from an unmarked law enforcement vehicle near his residence in Plymouth, Minnesota. Although unmarked, the vehicle was equipped with emergency lights and sirens.

 

 

Investigators said agents were tracking a Kia Optima associated with Bamigboye when a Jeep SUV pulled up and parked beside the surveillance vehicle. Bamigboye was identified as the front-seat passenger, while Rekeya Frazier, described in court documents as his girlfriend, was behind the wheel.

Suspect Allegedly Attempts to Evade Arrest

Federal authorities alleged that Bamigboye became aware of the surveillance and attempted to conceal his identity by wearing a face mask and shifting items from the front seat to the rear of the Jeep. Frazier reportedly exited the vehicle briefly but remained close by.

When agents approached the Jeep, displayed their badges, and identified themselves as law enforcement officers, Bamigboye—who had moved to the back seat—allegedly became confrontational after learning the officers intended to question him about his immigration status.

FBI Alleges Federal Agent Was Taken Hostage

An affidavit sworn by FBI Special Agent Terry Getsch stated that Bamigboye grabbed the headrest and instructed Frazier to flee the scene.

“He shouted, ‘Drive! Drive! Drive! Get in the car and drive now,’ or words to that effect,” Agent Getsch told U.S. Magistrate Judge David Schultz.

Prosecutors said one agent entered the Jeep’s front passenger seat to prevent it from moving, while another struggled with Bamigboye in the back seat. Despite the struggle, Frazier allegedly managed to start the vehicle, forcing one agent to jump clear to avoid being struck.

Another agent remained inside the Jeep as it sped away.

“Agent 1 was involuntarily transported in the Jeep as it drove away,” the FBI stated in court records.

Chase and Armed Standoff

While the Jeep was in motion, the agent repeatedly ordered Frazier to stop, warning that her actions would worsen the situation. Investigators said she pushed the agent’s hand away when he attempted to place the vehicle in park and threatened to crash the Jeep, claiming she would instead drive to a police station.

Court documents said the agent, unfamiliar with the area and in Minnesota on a temporary assignment, feared he was being kidnapped.

Meanwhile, the original surveillance vehicle pursued the Jeep with emergency lights and sirens activated. Bamigboye reportedly placed a 911 call during the pursuit, while the agent inside the Jeep identified himself as a federal officer and contacted HSI operations for immediate assistance.

Authorities said the agent later drew his service firearm and again ordered Frazier to stop, but she refused.

Arrest Near Police Station

The pursuit ended when Frazier parked the Jeep outside the New Hope Police Department, approximately two miles from Bamigboye’s residence.

As the vehicle slowed, Bamigboye allegedly jumped out and fled into a nearby Hy-Vee grocery store, where he was later apprehended by law enforcement officers.

Frazier initially refused to exit the vehicle and was taken into custody after uniformed police officers arrived at the scene.

Suspect Cites Past Trauma

After initially declining to speak with investigators, Bamigboye later waived his Miranda rights, according to the FBI.

Investigators said he admitted to struggling with a federal agent and instructing Frazier to drive away but denied that the officers properly identified themselves as law enforcement.

Bamigboye reportedly told investigators that his actions were influenced by post-traumatic stress disorder linked to a previous kidnapping experience in Nigeria.

“The defendant claimed his conduct was influenced by PTSD resulting from a past kidnapping while living in Nigeria,” Agent Getsch stated in the affidavit.

Federal Charges Filed

The FBI said there is probable cause to believe that Bamigboye and Frazier intentionally abducted a federal officer and engaged in physical contact with law enforcement while attempting to commit an additional felony.

Prosecutors are pursuing charges under Title 18, Section 111 of the United States Code, which covers assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers.

Bamigboye has since been formally charged following his arraignment before Magistrate Judge David Schultz in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Frazier is being prosecuted as an alleged accomplice, according to court records.