FBI Grabs 22 Nigerians in Global Sextortion Crackdown Linked to Teen Suicides

In a major international operation dubbed “Operation Artemis,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested 22 Nigerians allegedly involved in a sextortion scheme that has led to the suicides of over 20 teenage boys in the United States since 2021.

The operation was a collaborative effort involving law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.​

The sextortion scheme involved perpetrators posing as young women online to lure teenage boys into sharing explicit images. Once obtained, the images were used to extort money from the victims under threat of public exposure.

In many cases, even after payments were made, the threats continued, leading to severe emotional distress and, tragically, suicides.​

The FBI reported that approximately half of the arrested individuals were directly linked to victims who took their own lives. The agency emphasized the growing threat of financially motivated sextortion, noting a significant increase in such cases targeting minors over the past year.​

Operation Artemis marks a significant step in combating online child exploitation. The FBI, in coordination with international partners, aims to bring justice to victims and hold perpetrators accountable, regardless of their location.​

In Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed its commitment to collaborating with international law enforcement to apprehend perpetrators based in the country. The EFCC has indicated its willingness to work with global partners to arrest Nigerian-based suspects involved in such crimes.​
Financial Times

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has also taken action against sextortion within Nigeria. In April 2023, NAPTIP arrested members of a notorious sextortion syndicate operating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The arrests followed intense surveillance and undercover operations in response to several complaints from victims and stakeholders. NAPTIP’s Director-General, Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi, emphasized the importance of victims speaking out and reporting such crimes.​

The FBI and its partners urge parents and guardians to have open and honest conversations with their children about the dangers of online interactions and to encourage them to report any suspicious activities. Victims of sextortion are encouraged to save all communications with perpetrators and report incidents to the appropriate authorities