US, Nigeria Deepen Collaboration Against Sextortion, Romance Scams, and Transnational Cybercrime

The United Stated Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Michael Gonzales traveled to Abuja to advance shared U.S.-Nigeria security priorities.  Coinciding with Nigeria’s Cybercrime Awareness Week, Gonzales emphasized strengthening cooperation against cyber-enabled crime in meetings with senior Government of Nigeria officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).  They discussed ways to expand joint efforts against financially motivated sextortion, romance scams, and other transnational cybercrime.

Noting how cybercrime can cross borders in seconds, DAS Gonzales challenged U.S. and Nigerians counterparts to ensure that cooperation to fight such criminality also does the same.  Recent extraditions demonstrate that when the United States and Nigeria combine investigative, diplomatic, and law-enforcement capabilities, international borders do not provide sanctuary to those who prey on our citizens.

Collaboration Producing Results

In August, Nigeria extradited two alleged cybercriminals to the United States.  They face charges in separate financially motivated sextortion cases involving American minors who died by suicide.  Since 2022, the FBI Legal Attaché Office at U.S. Embassy Abuja has worked with the EFCC on 41 extraditions, including five completed in 2026.  That marks a sharp increase from 2012 to 2021, when our two countries recorded only four arrests and five extraditions.

DAS Gonzales acknowledged the critical support provided by the EFCC, the Federal Ministry of Justice, and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation for these U.S. investigations and extraditions.  He emphasized how expeditious and public action holding criminals meaningfully to account can also play a significant role in deterring criminals from preying on victims.

Protecting Young People from Sextortion

Financially motivated sextortion devastates children and families.  The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received more than 50,000 reports of financially motivated sextortion in 2025, about 137 reports every day.  The FBI identifies Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, as well as Southeast Asia, among the locations where the most prevalent sextortion networks have operated.  Through Operation Artemis and related efforts, the FBI works with Nigerian authorities to identify and disrupt the networks targeting Americans.  The two countries are also focused on romance scams, which exploit trust and human relationships and can cost victims their life savings and retirement funds.  In March, the NPF National Cybercrime Centre launched a nationwide online-safety and cyber-hygiene campaign earlier this year that addresses romance scams, sextortion, phishing, identity theft, and business email compromise.

Recognizing the EFCC

In his meeting with the EFCC, DAS Gonzales commended the agency as one of Africa’s most recognized economic crime enforcement agencies, with a record of high-profile prosecutions, asset recovery, and public engagement.  The EFCC’s partnership with the FBI shows what effective international law enforcement cooperation looks like:  sharing information, identifying suspects, making arrests, and working through complex extradition proceedings.  Some recent cases took years of joint effort, which reflects institutional commitment on both sides.  Both countries would benefit from making this cooperation faster, more routine, and increasingly proactive.  That means moving beyond individual cases to target networks, financial infrastructure, and facilitators before more victims are harmed.

The Next Phase of Cooperation

Looking ahead, the United States and Nigeria have opportunities for deeper law enforcement cooperation:

• Stronger information sharing between U.S. and Nigerian agencies;

• Faster advancement of cyber and financial intelligence into investigations;

• Wider public awareness of sextortion and romance scams;

• Continued growth of Nigeria’s investigative, prosecutorial, and cybercrime-reporting capabilities.

Throughout his visit, DAS Gonzales reiterated the United States does not measure the strength of this collaboration simply by the number of programs it funds.  Instead, the focus is on outcomes:  victims protected, criminal networks disrupted, investigations advanced, successful convictions, and Nigerian institutions increasingly capable of sustaining these efforts for the good of the Nigerian and American people.