FBI Commends EFCC Over Role in Operation Targeting Sextortion Networks, Cybercrime
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its role in Operation Artemis, an international operation targeting online sextortion networks accused of exploiting minors for financial gain.
The commendation was conveyed in a letter signed by FBI Director Kash Patel and addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, acknowledging the commission’s cooperation in investigations, arrests and the extradition of suspects to the United States.
Patel said the EFCC played a significant role in the joint operation, which focused on disrupting financially motivated sextortion networks targeting children.
According to the letter, the commission, under Olukoyede’s leadership, assigned personnel to support the investigations and facilitate the transfer of suspects from Nigeria to face prosecution in the US.
The FBI director specifically praised the EFCC for apprehending Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudashiru Afeez Olawale, who were indicted in the United States in 2023 over allegations involving the sexual exploitation and extortion of minors.
The two men were extradited to the US in August 2026 following investigations and extradition proceedings facilitated by the EFCC. They are facing federal charges linked to alleged sexual exploitation involving the deaths of minors.
“The successful outcome of these cases would not have been possible without your assistance and dedication to international law enforcement collaboration,” Patel said.
The FBI director also expressed appreciation to Olukoyede and the commission for their commitment to justice and cooperation with US law enforcement, adding that he looked forward to strengthening the partnership between both agencies.
The extraditions followed FBI investigations into separate sextortion schemes targeting male minors in the United States. The investigations linked the alleged schemes to two teenage victims who died by suicide after reportedly experiencing online sexual exploitation and extortion.
Sextortion involves threatening to expose a person’s intimate images or information to force them to provide money, additional images or other demands. Authorities have increasingly pursued cross-border cooperation to investigate such cases and bring suspects to justice.
