The United States Justice Department has announced that two Nigerian men have been extradited to the United States from Nigeria to face prosecution in two separate cases for the financially-motivated sextortion of minors that resulted in the death of teenagers in both the Northern District of Mississippi and the Middle District of North Carolina.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the US Embassy in Abuja, which quoted Attorney General Todd Blanche as saying that “the defendants were arrested in Nigeria as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States.”
According to the statement the two Nigerian subjects arrested in Nigeria in 2023 were Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, who have now been returned to the United States to face justice after allegedly participating in financially-motivated sextortion of minors – one resulting in the death of a child.
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. They’ve been overseas for three years, but this FBI and our DOJ partners went and got them.
The statement noted that the Department of Justice and the Donald Trump Administration have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting America’s children from exploitation and sexual abuse.
“We have strengthened our international law enforcement partnerships to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind financially-motivated sextortion and identify and prosecute the perpetrators of child sexual exploitation who are directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide.”
“Today’s announcement represents two more high-value targets returned to the U.S. by this FBI through Foreign Transfers of Custody,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
“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,” the statement added.
“Today’s announcement makes clear that we will not rest in our pursuit of justice for victims of sextortion: Three years after the indictment, and almost five years since the conduct occurred, the defendant will finally appear in a U.S. court to face the charges against him,” U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop for the Middle District of North Carolina, said.
He added that “We are grateful to all the agents, attorneys, and others whose tenacity and steadfast pursuit of justice contributed to the defendant’s extradition.”
Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Charlotte Field Office said that financially motivated sextortion inflicts lasting harm on victims and their families, adding that “These schemes often begin with threats and manipulation, but their impact extends far deeper — causing emotional and psychological devastation.
“The extradition of this suspect proves the FBI’s commitment to pursue those who exploit vulnerable individuals, wherever they may be, and ensures they are held accountable for the profound and lasting damage they cause,” he added.
