Two Nigerian men have been extradited to the United States to face federal charges over alleged financially motivated sextortion schemes targeting American minors, including cases linked to the deaths of teenagers.
Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, were arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 following investigations by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
They were transferred into U.S. custody and arrived in the country on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
The FBI said the men had remained in Nigeria for about three years before their extradition.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the pair as “high-value targets,” saying they had been brought back to the United States to face justice over alleged sextortion crimes involving minors.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Adekunle is facing charges connected to the alleged sextortion of a Mississippi teenager, whose death followed the alleged exploitation.
He has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement, and interstate threats with intent to extort.
If convicted, Adekunle could face life imprisonment, while the charge involving sexual exploitation resulting in death carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years.
Olawale, meanwhile, is facing charges in North Carolina over alleged sextortion involving minors.
His indictment includes allegations of sexual exploitation, coercion and enticement, interstate threatening communications and distribution of child sexual abuse material. He appeared before a federal court in Greensboro following his extradition.
U.S. authorities said the cases involved financially motivated schemes in which minors were allegedly coerced into sending explicit images and subsequently threatened with the distribution of the material unless they provided money.
The U.S. Attorney General, Todd Blanche, said the extraditions demonstrate that American authorities will pursue alleged perpetrators regardless of where they operate.
“Anyone who allegedly exploits vulnerable children in the U.S. will be pursued no matter where they are in the world,” Blanche said.
The extraditions were carried out with the cooperation of Nigerian authorities, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The EFCC said its investigations, conducted in collaboration with the FBI, linked the suspects to sextortion schemes targeting male minors, particularly teenagers between 13 and 17 years old.
The commission said the cases involved the use of child sexual abuse material to extort victims through various means, including money transfers, gift cards and cryptocurrency.
In Adekunle’s case, U.S. prosecutors said the evidence was traced to Nigeria after investigations into the death of a Mississippi teenager. FBI officials said agents worked with international partners for years to secure his extradition.
“Crossing state lines does not erase criminal charges, and international borders do not shield individuals from accountability,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff said.
U.S. authorities said the cases form part of a broader FBI effort targeting financially motivated sextortion networks operating from Nigeria.
The operation has been linked by American investigators to numerous cases involving American teenagers who died by suicide after alleged online sexual exploitation.
Both men are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
