A Nigerian national, Afeez Adewale, has been extradited to the United States to face charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy linked to a sextortion scheme that resulted in the death of a young American. Adewale appeared before a US federal court in Philadelphia on Tuesday after FBI representatives in Nigeria took him into custody in August 2023 and extradited him last Friday.
According to the US Department of Justice, Adewale is charged with sexual extortion of a minor in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Two accomplices, Imoleayo Aina and Samuel Abiodun, were previously extradited from Nigeria in August 2024 and sentenced to six and five years, respectively.
The extradition was supported by Nigeria’s Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, and the EFCC. Adewale’s case is the latest in a series of Nigerian cybercrime extraditions to the US.
Key Points:
The extradition demonstrates US-Nigeria cooperation in pursuing cybercriminals across borders.
It sends a strong deterrent message to sextortion rings targeting American minors.
Victims’ families gain a measure of justice, while perpetrators face US prosecution.
This signals the serious consequences, including death, of online sexual exploitation.
The timing, with accomplices already sentenced, shows sustained enforcement.
Nigerian sextortionist Afeez Adewale extradited to US over scheme that led to American teen’s death, joining accomplices already serving prison sentences.
Sources: Premium Times, US Department of Justice