Two Nigerians have been extradited to the United States to face prosecution over alleged online sextortion schemes involving minors.
The suspects were identified as 24-year-old Mudashiru Afeez Olawale and 26-year-old Adebola Festus Adekunle. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 facilitated their extradition on August 26, 2026, following investigations conducted with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the two men are facing separate federal cases involving financially motivated sextortion of minors. Authorities allege the schemes involved obtaining explicit images from young victims and using threats to force them to provide money.
The FBI linked the suspects to cases involving American teenagers whose deaths followed alleged online sexual exploitation and extortion.
Olawale was extradited to North Carolina, where he faces charges relating to the alleged sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement, distribution of child sexual abuse material and interstate threatening communications. Prosecutors also allege that one of the cases involved the death of a teenage victim.
Adekunle was extradited to Mississippi. He faces charges including alleged sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement, and interstate threats made with the intent to extort.
The EFCC said the investigations involved schemes targeting male minors, particularly teenagers between 13 and 17 years old. According to the commission, the alleged offenders used child sexual abuse material to demand money through methods including gift cards, money remitters and cryptocurrency.
The extradition of Olawale followed a lengthy legal process in Nigeria. The Federal High Court in Lagos initially rejected the extradition application in June 2024. The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation appealed the decision, and the Court of Appeal in Lagos overturned the ruling on July 7, 2026, clearing the way for his extradition.
The U.S. Justice Department said both men were arrested in Nigeria in 2023 as part of a wider FBI operation targeting financially motivated sextortion networks. They were subsequently taken into U.S. custody and appeared before federal courts following their extradition.
U.S. authorities have stressed the seriousness of financially motivated sextortion, particularly when minors are targeted. The FBI and Nigerian authorities said their cooperation remains focused on identifying and prosecuting individuals involved in cross-border online exploitation.
The allegations against Olawale and Adekunle have not been proven in court. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
