Six Nigerians Extradited to US Over Alleged Romance Scams Targeting American Women

Six Nigerian nationals accused of defrauding more than 100 women in the United States through online romance scams have been extradited from South Africa to face justice in America.

The men, alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network, were arrested in South Africa back in 2021 and have been held in custody since, wanted by US authorities on charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

According to the South African Police Service, the suspects allegedly defrauded their victims of more than R100 million through online romance scams, building relationships with women before swindling them financially.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, said the men were handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport on Friday, in an operation coordinated with INTERPOL South Africa.

Confirming the handover, Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said, "Through the coordination of INTERPOL South Africa, the six will today be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service."

In a post on X, the South African Police Service confirmed the operation, stating, ‘The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the #Hawks, in collaboration with #INTERPOL South Africa, will today facilitate the extradition of six Nigerian nationals to the United States of America.’

Mogale described the extradition as evidence of strong ties between South African and international law enforcement in fighting cross-border crime.

"This extradition demonstrates the continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and international law enforcement partners in disrupting transnational organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions face due legal process," he said.