4 days ago
US Extradites Nigerians in Teen Sextortion Cases Linked to Deaths
Two men from Nigeria were brought to the United States to face serious criminal charges.
Prosecutors say the men used sextortion, which means threatening someone with private sexual images to demand money or something else.
The cases involve teenagers in North Carolina and Mississippi who prosecutors say died after the alleged abuse.
Mudasiru Afeez Olawale appeared in court in North Carolina.
Adebola Festus Adekunle appeared in court in Mississippi.
The men were arrested in Nigeria in August 2023.
They were transferred to US custody and arrived on Thursday.
The charges are only accusations, and both men are legally presumed innocent unless a court finds them guilty.
Mudasiru Afeez Olawale and Adebola Festus Adekunle were extradited from Nigeria to the United States.
The men face separate federal cases involving alleged financially motivated sextortion of minors.
Authorities say the cases are linked to the deaths of teenagers in North Carolina and Mississippi.
Olawale appeared in federal court in Greensboro, while Adekunle appeared in Oxford, Mississippi.
Both defendants were arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 and remain presumed innocent unless convicted.
- Who
- Nigerian nationals Mudasiru Afeez Olawale and Adebola Festus Adekunle; US prosecutors and investigators.
- What
- The United States extradited the two men to face separate federal sextortion and child-exploitation prosecutions.
- Where
- Olawale appeared in Greensboro, North Carolina; Adekunle appeared in Oxford, Mississippi, after being transferred from Nigeria.
- When
- They arrived in the United States on Thursday and appeared in federal court on Friday; both were arrested in August 2023.
- Why
- US authorities allege the cases involved sextortion of minors, with the alleged conduct linked to teenagers’ deaths.
Prosecutors and Authorities
Defendants’ Legal Status
Nature of the cases
Prosecutors and Authorities
Authorities allege that the defendants sexually exploited and extorted minors, and that the conduct was connected to teenagers’ deaths in North Carolina and Mississippi.
Defendants’ Legal Status
The charges remain allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Key facts
- Defendants
- Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, and Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26.
- Origin of extradition
- Both men were transferred into US custody in Nigeria.
- Olawale allegations
- Charges include sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement, child sexual abuse material, and interstate threatening communications.
- Adekunle allegations
- His three-count indictment includes sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement, and interstate threats intended to extort.
- Potential sentence
- Adekunle faces up to life in prison if convicted; prosecutors said one charge carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years.
- Investigative agencies
- The cases involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Nigerian authorities; Olawale’s case also involves the Surry County Sheriff’s Office.
Quotes
Dan Bishop
US attorney who commented on Olawale’s prosecution
“Today’s announcement makes clear that we will not rest in our pursuit of justice for victims of sextortion: Three years after indictment, and almost five years since the offense conduct occurred, the defendant will finally appear in a US court to face the charges against him.”
thehansindia.com
“Walker Montgomery should be here with us today. He should be moving into his dormitory, meeting up with friends, and running to class. That he is not is a tragedy.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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