Six Nigerians face US extradition over romance scam
The South African Police Service (SAPS) says six Nigerians will be extradited to the United States over allegations that they defrauded more than 100 women through a romance scam.
In a statement shared on X on Friday, SAPS said the six Nigerians are suspected members of the Black Axe network and are wanted by US authorities over alleged wire fraud and money laundering.
According to the police, the suspects will be taken from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport and handed over to officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service.
SAPS said the suspects were arrested in 2021 and allegedly defrauded women in the US of more than R100 million.
“The six Nigerian nationals were arrested in South Africa in 2021, following a major takedown operation conducted by the Hawks/DPCI,” the statement reads.
“Through the coordination of INTERPOL South Africa, the six will today be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service, who arrived in South Africa this morning.
“The formal handover is expected to take place this afternoon.”
In August, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) extradited two Nigerians to the US over allegations of online sexual exploitation and sextortion involving two teenage boys who later died by suicide.
Mudashiru Afeez Olawale and Adebola Festus were extradited following FBI investigations that allegedly linked them to separate sextortion schemes targeting male minors.
