Two Nigerian men have been extradited to the United States to face charges over alleged financially motivated sextortion of minors in cases linked to the deaths of teenagers in Mississippi and North Carolina.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, were extradited from Nigeria on August 27, 2026.
Both men were arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 as part of a joint operation involving Nigerian authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) targeting individuals accused of sexually extorting minors in the United States.
Adekunle appeared in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi, on Friday for an initial hearing, while Olawale appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge L. Patrick Auld in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Adekunle faces charges in Mississippi
Prosecutors in the Northern District of Mississippi accused Adekunle of financially motivated sextortion involving a minor whose death followed the alleged abuse.
He faces charges of sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort.
The sexual exploitation resulting in death charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, while Adekunle could face life imprisonment if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary for the Northern District of Mississippi said investigators followed evidence from the teenager’s death to Nigeria.
“Unfortunately, here we are again in an unrelated child victimization case. This time a child died,” Leary said.
He added that the case required cooperation between several agencies in the United States and Nigeria.
“The dedication involved in this case cannot be overstated,” he said. “The evidence led agents to Nigeria. Undeterred, the FBI worked with DOJ’s Office of International Affairs for years, and eventually the defendant was extradited from Nigeria to face justice in the United States.”
Leary thanked Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, as well as other Nigerian and U.S. authorities involved in the investigation.
Olawale faces North Carolina charges
Olawale faces federal charges connected to the alleged sextortion of two minors, including a case involving the death of one victim.
According to the indictment, he faces charges involving sexual exploitation of minors resulting in death, enticement of minors, interstate threatening communications and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Like Adekunle, Olawale could face life imprisonment and mandatory minimum prison terms if convicted. The charge involving sexual exploitation resulting in death carries a minimum sentence of 30 years.
U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop for the Middle District of North Carolina said authorities had continued pursuing the case despite the passage of several years.
“Today’s announcement makes clear that we will not rest in our pursuit of justice for victims of sextortion,” Bishop said.
“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,” he added.
US vows to pursue sextortion suspects
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the extraditions formed part of a broader effort to target international criminal networks involved in sextortion.
“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,” Blanche said.
“The Department of Justice and this Administration have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting America’s children from exploitation and sexual abuse.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also described the extradition as part of the agency’s efforts to pursue suspects accused of exploiting American minors from outside the country.
“Two Nigerian subjects arrested in Nigeria in 2023 – Adekunle Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale – have now been returned to the United States to face justice after allegedly participating in financially-motivated sextortion of minors,” Patel said.
“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.”
Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Charlotte Field Office, said sextortion could have serious psychological consequences for victims and their families.
“These schemes often begin with threats and manipulation, but their impact extends far deeper — causing emotional and psychological devastation,” Davis said.
Robert A. Eikhoff, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office, said the extradition of Adekunle demonstrated that suspects could still face prosecution despite operating across international borders.
“The extradition of Adekunle sends a clear and unmistakable message: crossing state lines does not erase criminal charges, and international borders do not shield individuals from accountability,” Eikhoff said.
Nigerian authorities assisted extradition
The Justice Department said the cases resulted from Operation Artemis, an FBI initiative targeting financially motivated sextortion networks operating from Nigeria.
The operation involved FBI agents, analysts and forensic specialists working with domestic and international law enforcement agencies.
U.S. authorities said the campaign was created in response to sextortion cases that have been linked to dozens of teenage deaths by suicide in the United States.
The extradition operation received support from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Justice, its International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other Nigerian security authorities.
FBI agents from the Jackson and Greensboro offices travelled to Nigeria to take Adekunle and Olawale into U.S. custody.
The Justice Department said its Office of International Affairs and FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja also played key roles in securing the extraditions.
Both men remain accused of the offences and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
