South Africa to Extradite Six Nigerians to US

South Africa will extradite six Nigerian nationals to the United States on Friday over allegations that they were involved in an online romance scam network that defrauded victims of more than $6 million.

South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, said the suspects are allegedly members of an organised criminal group known as Black Axe and are wanted by US authorities on charges including wire fraud and money laundering.

The Hawks arrested the six men in South Africa in 2021 during a major operation targeting the alleged network. According to the Hawks, the group reportedly targeted more than 100 women in the United States, allegedly taking more than R100 million ($6.2 million) through online romance or “love” scams.

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Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the alleged victims included pensioners and business owners who were approached through carefully crafted online relationships.

“Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money,” Mogale said.

Extradition — South Africa to Extradite Six Nigerians to US. Getty Images

She added that officials from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Secret Service would hand over the suspects at Cape Town International Airport.

Online romance scams have become a major form of cybercrime, with fraudsters often creating fake identities on dating platforms and social media to build trust with victims before requesting financial assistance or access to funds.

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Authorities across several countries have increased cooperation in recent years to investigate and prosecute transnational fraud networks that operate across borders.

The case follows other high-profile international fraud prosecutions involving Nigerian nationals. In 2022, Nigerian Instagram influencer Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, was sentenced to more than 11 years in a US prison after pleading guilty to his role in a global money laundering and fraud scheme.

The extradition of the six suspects comes as law enforcement agencies continue efforts to disrupt online criminal networks and bring alleged cybercrime offenders before courts.

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Tope Oke

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