US, Nigeria Deepen Cooperation Against Sextortion, Romance Scams and Cybercrime

The United States and Nigeria have strengthened their security cooperation to tackle financially motivated sextortion, romance scams and other forms of transnational cybercrime.

The development followed a visit to Abuja by Michael Gonzales, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, during which he met with senior Nigerian security officials.

According to a statement by the US Mission on Monday, the visit was aimed at advancing shared security priorities and strengthening efforts against cyber-enabled crimes affecting both countries.

US, Nigerian Agencies Discuss Joint Action

Gonzales' visit coincided with Nigeria's Cybercrime Awareness Week. During the trip, he held discussions with officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police Force.

The discussions focused on expanding joint investigations and improving cooperation against online fraud, sextortion and other criminal activities that operate across international borders.

Gonzales urged both countries to ensure that law enforcement cooperation moves as quickly as cybercriminal activities, stressing that international borders should not protect offenders from accountability.

Extraditions Highlight Security Partnership

The US Mission cited recent extraditions as evidence of growing cooperation between the two countries.

In August 2026, Nigeria extradited two alleged cybercriminals to the United States to face separate charges involving financially motivated sextortion cases targeting American minors who later died by suicide.

The statement also disclosed that the FBI Legal Attaché Office at the US Embassy in Abuja had worked with the EFCC on 41 extraditions since 2022, including five completed in 2026.

This represents a significant increase compared with the period between 2012 and 2021, when the two countries recorded four arrests and five extraditions, according to the US Mission.

US Commends Nigerian Security Agencies

Gonzales acknowledged the support of the EFCC, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation in facilitating investigations and extradition processes.

He also stressed the importance of holding cybercriminals accountable through swift and visible law enforcement action, noting that such efforts could discourage others from targeting victims.

The US Mission said the partnership reflects the shared commitment of both countries to addressing cybercrime and strengthening security cooperation.

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