RismadarVoice Reporters
October 29, 2026
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for their contributions to an international operation targeting online sexual extortion networks involving minors.
The commendation was conveyed in a letter signed by FBI Director Kash Patel, acknowledging the commission’s role in Operation Artemis, an international law enforcement initiative aimed at disrupting financially motivated sextortion schemes.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Patel praised the Nigerian anti-graft agency for supporting investigations and facilitating the extradition of suspects wanted in the United States.
The FBI director specifically acknowledged the commission’s involvement in the cases of Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, two Nigerians indicted in the United States in 2023 over allegations involving the sexual exploitation and extortion of minors.
Both men were extradited to the United States in August 2026 following investigations and legal proceedings involving Nigerian and American authorities.
Patel said the EFCC had assigned personnel to assist investigators and coordinate the suspects’ transfer for prosecution.
He credited the commission’s cooperation with helping advance the investigations and expressed appreciation for its commitment to international law enforcement partnerships.
The two cases involve allegations of financially motivated sextortion, in which individuals are threatened with the disclosure of intimate images unless they make payments.
According to the United States Department of Justice, the alleged offences were connected to separate incidents involving teenage victims who subsequently died by suicide.
Adekunle, 26, faces federal charges in Mississippi, including sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, coercion and enticement, and interstate threats with intent to extort.
Olawale, 24, faces charges in North Carolina relating to the alleged sexual exploitation of minors, coercion, threatening communications and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The United States authorities confirmed that both suspects were arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 before their eventual extradition on August 27, 2026.
Operation Artemis involves cooperation between American investigators and international law enforcement agencies to identify suspects, gather evidence and pursue criminal proceedings against individuals allegedly operating cross-border sextortion networks.
Patel expressed confidence that cooperation between the FBI and EFCC would continue to strengthen efforts against cybercrime and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
The suspects have not been convicted of the charges and remain entitled to the presumption of innocence as their cases proceed through the American judicial system.
