US and Nigeria Step Up Cybercrime Crackdown as Extraditions Rise

November 4, 2026 | By Semahegn Nigatu

The United States and Nigeria are seeking to intensify cooperation against transnational cybercrime, with Washington citing a sharp increase in extraditions as evidence of growing law enforcement collaboration between the two countries.

Since 2022, the FBI's Legal Attaché Office at the US Embassy in Abuja has worked with Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 41 extraditions, including five completed in 2026, according to the US State Department.

The figure compares with four arrests and five extraditions recorded between 2012 and 2021, highlighting a significant expansion in joint efforts to pursue suspects accused of financially motivated cybercrime.

The latest discussions took place during a visit to Abuja by Michael Gonzales, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. His visit coincided with Nigeria's Cybercrime Awareness Week and included meetings with senior officials from the EFCC, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Police Force.

The discussions focused on strengthening investigations into financially motivated sextortion, romance scams and other cyber-enabled offences that frequently involve victims and perpetrators in different countries.

In August, Nigeria extradited two alleged cybercriminals to the United States. They face separate charges involving financially motivated sextortion cases targeting American minors who subsequently died by suicide.

Gonzales said the cases demonstrated the importance of combining investigative, diplomatic and law enforcement capabilities to pursue suspects across international borders.

The US official also called for faster information sharing and more systematic cooperation between the two countries, including efforts to target criminal networks, financial infrastructure and intermediaries rather than concentrating solely on individual suspects.

Financially motivated sextortion has become a growing concern for US authorities, particularly because of its impact on children and young people.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 50,000 reports of financially motivated sextortion in 2025, equivalent to approximately 137 reports daily.

The FBI identifies Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, alongside Southeast Asia, as locations where some of the most prevalent sextortion networks have operated.

Through Operation Artemis and related initiatives, the FBI works with Nigerian authorities to identify and disrupt networks targeting Americans.

The two countries are also seeking to address romance scams, in which perpetrators exploit online relationships to obtain money from victims, sometimes causing substantial financial losses.

Nigeria's police authorities have expanded public awareness efforts. In March, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre launched a nationwide campaign addressing romance scams, sextortion, phishing, identity theft and business email compromise.

During his meeting with the EFCC, Gonzales praised the agency's record in economic crime investigations, prosecutions and asset recovery.

He also acknowledged the contributions of Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation in supporting investigations and extradition proceedings.

Washington is seeking to expand the partnership through stronger intelligence sharing, faster conversion of financial and cyber intelligence into investigations, wider public awareness campaigns and improved investigative and prosecutorial capacity.

The US State Department said the objective was to strengthen Nigerian institutions' ability to sustain enforcement efforts while protecting victims in both countries.

Source: FSX Business News