Tinubu Hails EFCC As FBI Commends Nigeria Over International Sextortion Crackdown
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a commendation letter from the Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, praising Nigeria’s role in an international sextortion crackdown targeting minors.
The commendation was conveyed in a statement on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the letter addressed to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, FBI Director Kash Patel acknowledged the Commission’s contribution to Operation Artemis, a joint international law enforcement operation targeting criminal networks involved in the sexual exploitation and extortion of children.
According to the statement, the operation led to the arrest and extradition of two Nigerian suspects, Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, in August 2026. Both are facing federal charges in the United States.
“The successful outcome of these cases would not have been possible without your assistance and dedication to international law enforcement collaboration,” Patel wrote in the letter.
The suspects were indicted in the United States in 2023 over allegations connected to separate sextortion schemes targeting male minors. FBI investigations linked the schemes to the deaths of two teenage victims in the US who died by suicide after alleged online sexual exploitation and extortion.
Under Olukoyede’s leadership, the EFCC designated personnel to support investigations and facilitated extradition proceedings to transfer the suspects from Nigeria to the US for prosecution.
President Tinubu described the FBI commendation as further recognition of Nigeria’s progress in combating financial crimes and strengthening international law enforcement cooperation.
“This is the kind of institutional performance we are determined to build across our country. I commend the EFCC Chairman and his team for their professionalism and dedication,” Tinubu said.
“Nigeria must never become a haven for criminals who exploit innocent people, whether at home or abroad. Our law enforcement and anti-corruption institutions have my full support to pursue offenders and bring them to justice in accordance with the law,” he added.
The commendation comes amid growing international recognition of Nigeria’s anti-corruption and financial crime reforms, including the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025 and the European Union’s high-risk financial jurisdictions list in January 2026.
The Presidency said the development shows that Nigeria’s institutions are regaining global credibility.
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