The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has extradited two Nigerians to the United States over alleged online sexual exploitation and sextortion of two teenage boys who later died by suicide.
The suspects, Mudashiru Afeez Olawale and Adebola Festus Adekunle, were extradited on Wednesday following separate investigations by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into alleged sextortion schemes targeting male minors.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
According to him, the victims were allegedly threatened with the distribution of their nude photographs and extorted for money through various channels, including money remitters, gift cards and cryptocurrency.
Oyewale said one of the cases involved a 13-year-old boy who was contacted through Instagram and allegedly persuaded to exchange nude photographs.
He said the suspect subsequently threatened to distribute the photographs to the boy’s Instagram contacts unless money was paid.
The communication allegedly continued even after the victim indicated that he intended to take his own life.
Following the development, the FBI reportedly gathered intelligence on individuals allegedly involved in the scheme and sought the assistance of the EFCC to identify and investigate suspects in Nigeria.
Adekunle was subsequently arrested and extradited to the US.
The EFCC spokesperson said Olawale’s case followed a separate FBI investigation in which US authorities sought his extradition over a seven-count charge.
The charges include alleged sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, interstate threatening communications and distribution of child pornography.
The EFCC commenced extradition proceedings against Olawale at the Federal High Court in Lagos in a case marked FHC/L/CS/353/2024.
Oyewale said Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, who presided over the matter, refused the extradition application on June 10, 2024.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation subsequently appealed the decision.
On July 7, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Lagos, in appeal number CA/LAG/CV/721/2024, set aside the Federal High Court judgment, clearing the way for Olawale’s extradition.
The EFCC said the two suspects were extradited by its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 as part of its collaboration with the FBI in combating transnational crimes.
The commission said the cases further demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in tackling internet-enabled crimes involving the sexual exploitation and sextortion of minors.