By CJ Fumilayo Bayo
Olalekun Abímbólá Olawusi, a 48-year-old Nigerian man, has been declared wanted by United States authorities. The US Marshals are offering a reward of $25 for any information leading to his arrest.
He is said to have fled to Nigeria and is wanted to face charges of first-degree murder and two counts of causing serious bodily injury to a child.
The charges stem from an incident on 3 April 2017 in Providence, Rhode Island, where emergency personnel found Olawusi’s three-month-old son in critical condition.
Hospital examinations revealed 18 other injuries across the child’s body, in various stages of healing. They also identified a skull fracture, brain injury, and fractures in the child’s ribs, clavicle, legs, and arms. After he was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest, the infant was placed on life support but died six months later.
In a statement, Deputy US Marshal Don Freeman urged anyone with information on Olalekun Olawusi’s whereabouts to come forward.
Although Providence police arrested Olawusi on 20 April 2017 on charges of first-degree child abuse, he was released the same day and fled shortly thereafter. The murder charge was added after the death of the infant on 31 October 2017.
In November 2017, the Providence Police Department and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office requested the assistance of the US Marshals Service to locate Olawusi, but the investigation revealed that he had left from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on 20 June 2017, using a Nigerian passport.
Olawusi is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 185 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Due to the severity of his crimes and the threat he poses to the public, he has been placed on the US Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted list.
Investigators believe he may be receiving assistance from family in Nigeria. The US Marshals Service states that it will exhaust all necessary resources to bring him to justice for the sake of his family and the community.
The US Marshals Service advises anyone with information about his whereabouts to report it via the USMS Tip App or by calling 1-877-WANTED-2 (926-8332).
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