Two Nigerian nationals have been extradited to the United States to face federal charges over alleged involvement in financially motivated sextortion schemes that prosecutors say contributed to the deaths of American teenagers.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, were extradited from Nigeria and handed over to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

The two men appeared separately before federal courts in Mississippi and North Carolina on Friday following their arrival in the United States.

Their extradition followed a joint investigation involving the FBI and Nigerian authorities, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Adekunle and Olawale were initially arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 as part of Operation Artemis, an international crackdown on cyber-extortion networks allegedly operating from Nigeria.

Charges in Mississippi, North Carolina

Adekunle is facing federal charges in the Northern District of Mississippi, including sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, coercion and enticement, as well as interstate threats allegedly made with the intention of extortion.

Olawale, meanwhile, has been charged in the Middle District of North Carolina with offences including sexual exploitation of minors resulting in death, distribution of child pornography and enticement.

U.S. prosecutors allege that the defendants were involved in financially motivated sextortion schemes in which victims, including minors, were coerced into providing sexually explicit material and then threatened with exposure or other harm.

The cases are part of broader U.S. efforts to prosecute international cybercrime networks accused of targeting vulnerable young people online.

If convicted of the primary charges involving the sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, both defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.

Nigeria-US cooperation

U.S. authorities commended Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as well as the EFCC and other Nigerian security agencies, for their cooperation in securing the extraditions.

The cases underscore growing cooperation between Nigerian and U.S. law enforcement agencies in tackling cybercrime, online exploitation and transnational criminal networks.

The defendants remain presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.