A third Nigerian has been brought to the United States to face charges over a sextortion scheme that prosecutors say led to the death of a young man in suburban Pennsylvania, the latest step in a cross-border investigation that has already resulted in two prison sentences.
Afeez Olatunji Adewale, 26, was extradited from Nigeria last week and appeared in federal court in Philadelphia on Tuesday, according to David Metcalf, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He faces charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
US prosecutors allege that Adewale was part of a wider network that targeted American minors in online sextortion schemes, coercing victims into sending explicit images and then demanding payment under threat of exposure. The case in Pennsylvania centres on the death of a local young man after he was allegedly extorted.
Adewale was arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 during a joint operation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His extradition, completed on February 13, was coordinated with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI’s legal attaché in Abuja. Nigerian authorities, including the Attorney General’s office and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, assisted in the transfer.
He is the third Nigerian defendant to be brought to the US in connection with the case.
In August 2024, two alleged co-conspirators, Imoleayo Samuel Aina, also known as “Alice Dave”, and Samuel Olasunkanmi Abiodun, were extradited to face similar charges.
Abiodun pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced in June 2025 by Joel H. Slomsky to five years in prison. Aina later admitted to cyberstalking, interstate threats to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion and related financial crimes. He was sentenced in October 2025 to six years.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Philadelphia field office and local police in Abington Township. Prosecutors stressed that the charges against Adewale are allegations and that he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case underscores the increasingly international character of online financial crime, and the growing willingness of US authorities to pursue suspects across borders when American victims are involved.
