By 247ureports Staff

Two Nigerian nationals accused of running financially motivated sextortion schemes against American minors have been extradited to the United States, where they are expected to face federal prosecution in cases prosecutors say contributed to the deaths of two teenage boys.

Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, were handed over to FBI agents in Nigeria on Thursday, August 27, 2026, and arrived in the U.S. the same day. They appeared separately before federal courts in Mississippi and North Carolina on Friday for initial hearings.

Arrests Trace Back to 2023

Both men were originally arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 as part of “Operation Artemis,” a targeted international campaign against cyber-extortion networks allegedly operating out of the country. Their transfer to U.S. custody came after roughly three years overseas, following extended cooperation between American investigators and Nigerian authorities.

The handover was coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Abuja, and FBI agents from the Jackson and Greensboro Resident offices, working alongside Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Ministry of Justice. Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, was specifically acknowledged by the DOJ for his role in facilitating the process.

Olawale’s path to extradition involved a legal battle in Nigerian courts. The EFCC had filed extradition proceedings before the Federal High Court in Lagos, which initially declined the request in mid-2024. That decision was later overturned on appeal, clearing the way for his transfer.

The Charges

According to the Justice Department, Adekunle faces a three-count federal indictment out of Mississippi tied to the alleged sextortion of a minor. The charges include sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats made with intent to extort. He appeared in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi, on Friday. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, with the death-resulting charge alone carrying a mandatory minimum of 30 years.

Olawale was indicted in August 2023 on a seven-count charge tied to schemes in North Carolina. Prosecutors allege the offenses include 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, and distribution and attempted distribution of child sexual abuse material.

Both men are presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charges against them in court.

How the Schemes Allegedly Worked

Investigators say the operations followed a pattern common to financially motivated sextortion: perpetrators posed as peers online, obtained explicit images from victims, then threatened to distribute those images to the victim’s contacts unless payment was made — typically through gift cards, money transfer services, or cryptocurrency.

According to FBI findings cited by Nigerian outlets covering the case, one scheme allegedly began when a 13-year-old boy received a direct message on Instagram proposing an exchange of explicit photos. After the exchange, the sender allegedly threatened to share the images with the boy’s contacts and demanded money — and investigators say contact with the victim continued even after he indicated an intention to harm himself.

Official Reaction

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the men’s return in a post on social media, calling them “high-value targets” who had now been “brought back” to face justice. He noted that the men had evaded U.S. custody for roughly three years before this joint FBI-DOJ effort secured their return, and described sextortion as a particularly dangerous crime because perpetrators often exploit vulnerable young people through deception, intimidation, and threats.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Jackson Field Office, the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section, the FBI’s International Operations Division, and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King of the Northern District of Mississippi is prosecuting Adekunle’s case.