Six Nigerians Extradited From South Africa to US Over Alleged Online Scams

South African authorities have extradited six Nigerian nationals to the United States over allegations that they defrauded more than 100 women through online romance scams. The suspects, who were arrested in South Africa in 2021, are alleged by authorities to have links to the Black Axe organised criminal network. The South African Police Service said the men were wanted in the US over allegations of wire fraud and money laundering, with the alleged scams said to have generated more than R100 million. The extradition was coordinated by South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, and INTERPOL South Africa. The suspects were handed over to officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport on Friday.

Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said the suspects were transferred from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport before being handed over to the American authorities. She said the extradition demonstrated continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and their international counterparts in tackling organised crime that crosses national borders. The six Nigerians will now face due legal process in the United States over the allegations against them. South African authorities did not disclose further details about the specific charges or the identities of the alleged victims.

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