Nigeria extradites two Nigerians to US over sextortion of American teens who died
Nigeria has extradited Mudashiru Olawale and Adebola Adekunle to the United States to face prosecution for alleged online sexual exploitation and sextortion of two American teenagers who later died by suicide. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced the extradition on Wednesday, facilitated by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation following investigations with the FBI. According to the EFCC, the suspects were identified in separate FBI investigations targeting male minors aged 13 to 17, involving child sexual abuse material used to extort money via gift cards, cryptocurrency and money remitters. In one case, a 13-year-old boy received an Instagram direct message proposing nude photo exchange; the alleged perpetrator later threatened to share the images and demanded money, despite the boy indicating suicidal intentions. Olawale faced a seven-count charge including sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, enticement, interstate threatening communications and distribution of child pornography; his extradition was upheld by the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division on July 7, 2026 after an earlier Federal High Court rejection. Adekunle was arrested and brought before the EFCC. The EFCC said the extradition underscores ongoing Nigeria-U.S. cooperation against transnational internet crimes, especially those exploiting minors. This case highlights the severe consequences of online sextortion and the importance of vigilance by parents, educators and platform operators. Given the rise in such schemes targeting teens, what concrete steps will you take to safeguard minors in your household or community from online exploitation?