22 Nigerians Arrested In FBI S*xtortion Bust; Half Linked To Victims Who Committed Suicide
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the arrest of 22 Nigerian nationals linked to s*xtortion scams that have contributed to a troubling increase in suicide cases among American teens.
The arrests were made during Operation Artemis, a first-of-its-kind global operation carried out in collaboration with law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
FBI stated in a statement that around half of the suspects arrested were directly linked to victims who died by suicide after being extorted.
“Operation Artemis exemplifies the FBI’s never-ending mission to protect our most vulnerable, and to pursue the heinous criminals harming our children — no matter where they hide,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
“This operation highlights the critical need for international cooperation to address this growing threat, and it’s a fight we can’t take on without our valued partners across the globe.
“We hope this message encourages parents and guardians to continue to educate their children about online safety and serves as a reminder of the FBI’s relentless pursuit of keeping our children safe.”
During its investigations, the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit (CEOU) and all 55 field offices in the U.S. helped identify nearly 3,000 victims. It was discovered that many of the perpetrators were based in Nigeria, prompting the surge of FBI personnel into the country.
One Nigerian suspect was extradited to the U.S. in January and charged with causing the death of a South Carolina teenager who committed suicide after being extorted.
Two others were extradited last year for similar charges involving a teenager in Pennsylvania. More suspects remain in Nigeria awaiting extradition.
The s*xtortion schemes involved perpetrators posing as romantic interests on social media to deceive victims into sharing nude images. Once received, they blackmailed the victims for money and continued the threats even after payments were made, leaving victims traumatised and isolated.
The FBI’s operations were supported by its field offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbia, Houston, Jackson, Milwaukee, Nashville, Newark, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Richmond, San Diego, and St. Louis.
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) also played major roles in the operation.
The FBI urged parents to speak to their children about online safety and encouraged victims to report incidents via 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI reminded the public that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
