Yes, this is accurate based on a U.S. Department of Justice announcement on August 28, 2026. Two Nigerian nationals—Adebola Festus Adekunle (26, of Lagos) and Mudasiru (also reported as Mudashiru) Afeez Olawale (24)—were extradited from Nigeria to the United States on or around August 27, 2026, to face federal charges related to financially motivated sextortion of minors. FBI Director Kash Patel described them as “two more high-value targets” returned via Foreign Transfers of Custody after their 2023 arrests in Nigeria.
Key Details of the Cases
The cases stem from Operation Artemis, an FBI-led effort targeting financially motivated sextortion networks operating primarily out of Nigeria. These schemes typically involve perpetrators posing as young women (often on Instagram or similar platforms) to coerce mostly teenage boys into sending explicit images or videos, then threatening to distribute the material to friends, family, or contacts unless payments are made (via gift cards, money remitters, cryptocurrency, etc.). The FBI has linked such schemes to dozens of American teen suicides in recent years, with reports of tens of thousands of victims and tens of millions in losses.
- Adebola Festus Adekunle (Northern District of Mississippi): Charged with sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort. He allegedly contacted 16-year-old Walker Montgomery of Starkville, Mississippi (a Starkville Academy student), via Instagram in late November/early December 2022 under the username “janet_dashay,” posing as a 19-year-old female. After obtaining explicit material, he demanded money and threatened to share it; Montgomery informed the account he intended to kill himself and received a dismissive response. Montgomery died by suicide (self-inflicted gunshot wound) the next morning (December 1 or 2, 2022). Adekunle was arrested in Nigeria on August 14, 2023. He appeared in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi, on August 28, 2026. Penalties include a mandatory minimum of 30 years (and up to life) on the exploitation-resulting-in-death charge.
- Mudasiru Afeez Olawale (Middle District of North Carolina): Charged with offenses including sexual exploitation of minors resulting in death, enticement of minors, interstate threatening communications, and distribution of child pornography (related to the financially motivated sextortion of one minor and the sextortion and death of another). He was arrested in Nigeria on August 9, 2023, and appeared in federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina, on August 28, 2026. He also faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years (and potential life) on the exploitation-resulting-in-death charge.
Both were taken into U.S. custody with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, FBI agents from the relevant field offices (Jackson and Greensboro/Charlotte), and Nigerian authorities—including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s Attorney General/Minister of Justice, and related departments. The EFCC facilitated the handovers. Extradition processes faced some legal hurdles in Nigeria (including a lower court refusal later overturned on appeal for at least one defendant).
Broader Context
These extraditions fit a pattern of increasing U.S.-Nigeria cooperation against these networks. Earlier examples include extraditions linked to other teen suicides (e.g., cases in Pennsylvania, South Carolina). Operation Artemis involved deploying FBI personnel and partners to Nigeria, resulting in numerous arrests of subjects connected to schemes that have driven a sharp rise in reported victims (over 54,000 in 2024 alone per IC3 data in prior reporting). Perpetrators often treat the activity as a low-risk “game” or income source, exploiting the victims’ shame and the cross-border challenges of investigation and prosecution.
U.S. officials (including Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Patel, and the relevant U.S. Attorneys) emphasized the commitment to pursuing these cases internationally, the severe harm to victims and families, and the message that borders will not shield perpetrators. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Resources for those affected by sextortion are available via the FBI (tips.fbi.gov and related guidance on reporting and stopping contact).
Walker Montgomery’s case also prompted Mississippi legislation, including measures addressing online child protections and criminalizing sexual extortion (“Walker’s Law” and related acts). The family’s reaction to the extradition mixed relief at accountability with ongoing grief.
This development underscores both the persistence of these predatory schemes and the growing capacity of U.S. and partner law enforcement to identify, arrest, and bring high-priority subjects to face charges in American courts despite geographic and legal obstacles.
