Nigerian sextortion suspects face US charges after teen deaths

Two Nigerian men were extradited to the United States on Thursday and charged in connection with sextortion schemes that authorities say led to the deaths of two minors in Mississippi and North Carolina. The case underscores the deadly consequences of a crime that has become a growing threat to young people online.

Charges and maximum penalties

Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, were arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 as part of “Operation Artemis,” a joint international law enforcement effort targeting sextortion rings operating from Nigeria that prey on minors in the United States and worldwide. They now face a maximum penalty of life in prison, with mandatory minimum sentences on at least two charges. The child exploitation resulting in death charge carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison.

FBI Director names charges

Adekunle is charged with the sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, the production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort – and Olawale is charged with offenses relating to sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement of minors, distribution of child pornography, and more.

— FBI Director Kash Patel

“They've been overseas for three years, but this FBI and our DOJ partners went and got them. Sextortion is a heinous crime targeting innocent people, often young children - and this FBI will stop at nothing to pursue every single individual who harms vulnerable Americans,” Patel said.

How sextortion works

Sextortion is a form of online blackmail in which cybercriminals threaten victims with leaking nude images and videos they stole through hacking or obtained through coercion. In some cases, they may also sell the stolen content on criminal marketplaces or share victims’ personal information—including names, dates of birth, emails, phone numbers, and social media usernames—with other criminals. This can further pressure victims into providing additional private images and videos.

Recent FBI warnings on targeting

Earlier this month, the FBI warned that cybercriminals are targeting children’s and adults’ social media accounts to steal sexually explicit images or videos that will be used to blackmail victims. Almost five years ago, in September 2021, the FBI also warned of a massive increase in sextortion complaints, advising those receiving threats to contact law enforcement as soon as possible and stop all interaction with the criminals immediately.

Prior sentencing examples

Sextortionists face dozens of years in prison if caught. In May, a Canadian man was sentenced to 33 years in prison for targeting over 145 children across the United States, some as young as 6 years old, in an eight-year-long sextortion scheme. More recently, a member of “The Com” online cybercrime collective was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to blackmail and multiple child sexual abuse offenses against nearly 120 victims worldwide.

Key statistics

• Two Nigerian men extradited and charged
• Maximum penalty: life in prison; mandatory minimum of 30 years for child exploitation resulting in death
• Arrests made in August 2023 as part of Operation Artemis
• 33-year prison sentence for a Canadian man targeting over 145 children
• Two-year sentence for a member of “The Com”

Why this matters for families

The extraditions demonstrate that law enforcement is willing to pursue suspects across borders, but the persistence of sextortion suggests that prevention remains difficult. For teens and families, the message from officials is clear: report threats immediately, stop engaging with the criminals, and avoid sharing intimate images online. The stakes are life and death.