08/28/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/28/2026 13:21
GREENSBORO, NC - United States Attorney Dan Bishop and FBI Charlotte SAC Reid Davis announced the extradition of Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, age 24, from Nigeria to the United States to face federal charges related to the financially motivated sextortion of two victims and death of a teenager in the Middle District of North Carolina.
Olawale was charged by indictment in August 2023, with offenses relating to sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement of minors, distribution of child pornography, and interstate threatening communications. He appeared in federal court in Greensboro before U.S. Magistrate Judge L. Patrick Auld today.
Olawale was arrested in Nigeria on August 9, 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States. He was extradited to the United States on Thursday, August 27, 2026, with the assistance of the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and FBI Charlotte agents from the Greensboro Resident Agency, who traveled to Nigeria and took him into U.S. custody. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria's Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice's International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
"Today's announcement makes clear that we will not rest in our pursuit of justice for victims of sextortion: Three years after indictment, and almost five years since the offense conduct occurred, the defendant will finally appear in a U.S. court to face the charges against him," said United States Attorney Bishop. "We are grateful to all the agents, attorneys, and others whose tenacity and steadfast pursuit of justice contributed to the defendant's extradition."
"Financially motivated sextortion inflicts lasting harm on victims and their families. These schemes often begin with threats and manipulation, but their impact extends far deeper-causing emotional and psychological devastation. The extradition of this suspect proves the FBI's commitment to pursue those who exploit vulnerable individuals, wherever they may be, and ensures they are held accountable for the profound and lasting damage they cause," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
This case is being investigated by FBI Charlotte's Greensboro Resident Agency and the Surry County Sheriff's Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann Nee.
This case is a result of Operation Artemis, the FBI's surge against financially motivated sextortion rings operating from Nigeria. In coordination with domestic and international law enforcement partners, the FBI deployed agents, analysts, and forensic experts to Nigeria to confront perpetrators of these deadly schemes-which have been directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide.
This same focused, multi-agency approach now drives a broader national effort to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind sextortion and other predatory schemes. The US Government's Financially Motivated Sextortion Campaign Team coordinates across agencies, prioritizes victims, and brings every available tool to bear in its fight to bring to justice those who prey on American families.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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