The United States and Nigeria have strengthened cooperation against sextortion, romance scams and other transnational cybercrimes, with their joint investigations facilitating 41 extraditions since 2022.
The renewed commitment followed a visit to Abuja by the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Michael Gonzales, who held discussions with senior officials of Nigeria’s security and law enforcement agencies.
According to a statement issued by the US Embassy in Abuja on Monday, the engagements involved the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Police Force.
The discussions, which coincided with Nigeria’s Cybercrime Awareness Week, focused on expanding joint operations against financially motivated sextortion, romance scams and other cyber-enabled offences.
Gonzales said international cooperation must match the speed at which cybercriminals operate across national borders.
“Recent extraditions demonstrate that criminals cannot rely on international boundaries to evade justice when both countries combine their investigative, diplomatic and law enforcement capabilities,” he said.
The US Embassy disclosed that Nigeria extradited two alleged cybercriminals to the United States in August to face separate charges involving financially motivated sextortion cases targeting American minors who died by suicide.
The US Department of Justice confirmed the extraditions on August 28, 2026, identifying the cases as involving alleged offences in Mississippi and North Carolina.
The embassy said the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Abuja had worked with the EFCC on 41 extraditions since 2022, including five completed in 2026.
This represents a significant increase compared with the 2012–2021 period, when the two countries recorded four arrests and five extraditions.
Gonzales commended the EFCC, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation for supporting investigations and extradition proceedings involving suspects wanted in the United States.
US raises alarm over sextortion
Highlighting the growing impact of financially motivated sextortion on young people, the US statement disclosed that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 50,000 reports of the crime in 2025.
The figure represents approximately 137 reports daily.
The FBI identifies Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, alongside Southeast Asia, as locations where some of the most prevalent sextortion networks have operated.
Through Operation Artemis and related initiatives, the FBI works with Nigerian authorities to identify and disrupt networks targeting Americans.
The two countries are also targeting romance scams, which involve criminals exploiting emotional relationships and victims’ trust to steal savings and retirement funds.
In March, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre launched a nationwide online safety and cyber-hygiene campaign addressing romance scams, sextortion, phishing, identity theft and business email compromise.
EFCC, FBI target criminal networks
During his meeting with the EFCC, Gonzales praised the commission’s record in economic crime investigations, high-profile prosecutions, asset recovery and public engagement.
He described its partnership with the FBI as an example of effective international law enforcement cooperation involving intelligence sharing, suspect identification, arrests and complex extradition proceedings.
However, he called for faster and more proactive collaboration, with greater emphasis on dismantling entire criminal networks rather than pursuing individual suspects.
The next phase of cooperation is expected to prioritise stronger intelligence sharing, faster investigations, improved cybercrime reporting and increased public awareness.
The US said the partnership would ultimately be measured by tangible results, including victims protected, criminal networks disrupted, successful prosecutions and stronger Nigerian law enforcement institutions.
