Mr Adewale was extradited last Friday by representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who had taken him into custody in Nigeria in August 2023. He was arraigned in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

According to a statement by the United States Department of Justice, Mr Adewale is charged by indictment with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy arising from an alleged sexual extortion scheme that resulted in the victim’s death.

The Justice Department said the extradition forms part of a broader FBI-led crackdown targeting online sexual extortionists who prey on minors in the United States.

Co-Conspirators Already Sentenced

Two of his alleged associates — Imoleayo Aina, also known as “Alice Dave,” and Samuel Abiodun — were previously extradited from Nigeria in August 2024 and sentenced in the US.

Mr Abiodun pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to five years in prison. Mr Aina pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud, and was sentenced to six years.

The Justice Department noted that Mr Adewale’s extradition was facilitated with the support of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as well as Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department.

Pattern of Extraditions

The case is the latest in a string of extraditions of Nigerians to the US over cybercrime and online fraud.

In 2023, Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi were extradited to the US after being indicted for sexually extorting teenage boys in Michigan.

In 2019, 56-year-old Adedeji Adeniran was extradited to the Northern District of Florida over fraud-related charges.

Another high-profile case involved Fatade Olamilekan, who was extradited in July 2022 to face charges connected to a $3.5 million fraud scheme. His extradition was coordinated by the EFCC after he was placed on the FBI’s wanted list.

Nigeria and the United States have had an extradition treaty in place since 1931, originally signed during the colonial era.

Authorities say the latest extradition underscores ongoing bilateral cooperation to combat transnational cybercrime and protect vulnerable internet users.