Two extradited to US for alleged child exploitation and sextortion – THIS

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, facilitated the extradition of the duo of Mudashiru Afeez Olawale and Adebola Festus Adekunle to the United States of America, USA, to face trial for allegedly sexually extorting two teenage boys in the United States, resulting in their deaths.

Olawale and Adekunle had been identified in separate investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, into sextortion schemes targeting male minors, particularly those between the ages of 13 and 17, which led to the deaths of two minors.

The schemes involved the use of child pornography, CSAM, to extort money from victims through various means, including money remittances, gift cards and cryptocurrency.

FBI investigations have linked the activities of the alleged perpetrators to two separate cases involving American minors who committed 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 an individual suggesting an exchange of nude photographs. FBI investigations revealed that the subject subsequently threatened to spread the minor’s photographs to his Instagram contacts and demanded money from him.

It was also revealed that the communications continued despite the minor indicating an intention to take his own life. The FBI subsequently developed intelligence to identify 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 the Commission’s investigation, Adekunle was arrested and brought before the Commission.

Similarly, the FBI also requested Olawale’s extradition on seven charges, 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.”

Accordingly, the Commission commenced extradition proceedings against Olawale at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, in case no. FHC/L/CS/353/2024, before Judge A. Lewis-Allagoa, following an FBI request.

Although the Judge rejected the request during the proceedings of 10 June 2024, the sentence was subsequently appealed by the Attorney General of the Federation.

On 7 July 2026, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, in Appeal No. CA/LAG/CV/721/2024, annulled the Federal High Court ruling, thus paving the way for Olawale’s extradition to the United States

The extradition of Olawale and Adekunle highlights the continued collaboration between the EFCC and the FBI in combating transnational financial crimes, particularly internet-enabled crimes involving child exploitation and sextortion.

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