The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has facilitated the extradition of two Nigerians, Mudashiru Afeez Olawale and Adebola Festus Adekunle, to the United States to face prosecution for allegedly sexually extorting two teenage boys in the country, resulting in their deaths.
Olawale and Adekunle were extradited on Wednesday, August 26, following their identification in separate investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in sextortion schemes targeting male minors, particularly those between the ages of 13 and 17.
The schemes involved the use of child sexual abuse materials to extort victims for money through various means, including money remitters, gift cards and cryptocurrency.
According to the EFCC, the FBI investigations linked the activities of the alleged perpetrators to two separate cases involving American minors, who died by suicide after being subjected to online sexual exploitation and extortion.
In one of the cases, a 13-year-old male victim received a direct message on Instagram from a subject who suggested an exchange of nude photographs. Investigations by the FBI revealed that the subject subsequently threatened to disseminate the minor’s photographs to his Instagram contacts and demanded money from him.
It was further revealed that communications reportedly continued despite the minor indicating that he intended to take his own life. The FBI subsequently developed actionable intelligence identifying individuals allegedly involved in the scheme and requested the assistance of the EFCC in identifying, investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators under applicable Nigerian laws.
Following investigations by the commission, Adekunle was arrested and brought before the commission.
In a similar vein, the FBI sought the extradition of Olawale over a seven-count charge, including “sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, enticement and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, interstate threatening communications, sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, and distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.”
Consequently, the commission initiated extradition proceedings against Olawale at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in a suit before Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa, following a request by the FBI.
Although the judge refused the application during proceedings on June 10, 2024, the ruling was subsequently appealed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
On July 7, 2026, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, thereby paving the way for Olawale’s extradition.
“The extradition of Olawale and Adekunle underscores the continued collaboration between the EFCC and the FBI in tackling transnational financial crimes, particularly internet-enabled crimes involving the exploitation of minors and sextortion,” the EFCC said in a statement on Friday.
