Nigeria and the United States have intensified efforts to combat cybercrime, financially motivated sextortion and romance scams, with both countries pledging stronger intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation to dismantle transnational criminal networks.
The United States said the increasing number of extraditions and joint investigations between both countries demonstrated the progress being made in addressing cyber-enabled crimes but stressed the need to move beyond individual arrests to dismantle the networks and financial structures sustaining such criminal activities.
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Michael Gonzales, made this known during a visit to Abuja, where he met with senior officials of key Nigerian security and law enforcement agencies.
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The meetings, held during Nigeria’s Cybercrime Awareness Week, attracted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Gonzales said the growing sophistication of cybercriminal networks required closer international collaboration, particularly as offenders increasingly operate across national borders.
“Recent extraditions demonstrate that when the United States and Nigeria combine investigative, diplomatic, and law-enforcement capabilities, international borders do not provide sanctuary to those who prey on our citizens,” he said.
He challenged law enforcement authorities in both countries to ensure that international cooperation keeps pace with the speed at which cybercriminals operate.
One of the major indicators of the expanding partnership is the number of extraditions facilitated through cooperation between the FBI and Nigerian authorities.
According to the US official, the FBI Legal Attaché Office at the US Embassy in Abuja has worked with the EFCC on 41 extraditions since 2022, including five completed in 2026.
“This represents a significant increase compared with the 2012–2021 period, when the two countries recorded four arrests and five extraditions.
In August, Nigeria extradited two alleged cybercriminals to the United States over separate financially motivated sextortion cases involving American minors who died by suicide”.
Gonzales acknowledged the contributions of the EFCC, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation in facilitating the investigations and extradition processes.
He noted that some of the cases required years of sustained cooperation, demonstrating the institutional commitment of both countries to ensure that suspects face justice.
He however, called for a more efficient and proactive approach to investigations, stressing that law enforcement cooperation should not be limited to individual suspects.
He noted , both countries should intensify efforts to identify criminal networks, trace their financial infrastructure and target those facilitating their operations.
During the engagements, it was noted that beyond financial fraud, the growing incidence of financially motivated sextortion has become a major concern for international law enforcement agencies.
The crime, which involves threatening victims with the exposure of intimate images or information unless money is paid, has had devastating consequences, particularly for children and young people.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 50,000 reports of financially motivated sextortion in 2025, representing approximately 137 reports daily.
On its part, the FBI has identified Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, alongside Southeast Asia, among locations where some of the most prevalent sextortion networks have operated.
Gonzales also highlighted romance scams as another area requiring sustained attention, noting that criminals exploit personal relationships and emotional trust to steal victims’ life savings and retirement funds.
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has also stepped up public education through a nationwide online safety and cyber-hygiene campaign launched in March.
The initiative addresses romance scams, sextortion, phishing, identity theft and business email compromise.
While acknowledging the progress made through bilateral security cooperation, Gonzales said the next phase should focus on measurable results and stronger institutional capacity.
He identified improved intelligence sharing, faster conversion of cyber and financial intelligence into investigations, wider public awareness and enhanced investigative and prosecutorial capabilities as key priorities.
He also emphasised that the success of the partnership should not be judged by the number of programmes funded by the United States.
He emphasised that attention should be on tangible outcomes, including victims protected, criminal networks disrupted, investigations advanced and successful convictions secured.
The US official further stressed the importance of building Nigerian institutions capable of sustaining the fight against cybercrime over the long term.
For Nigeria, the renewed engagement comes at a time when cyber-enabled financial crimes pose challenges to public confidence, financial security and international cooperation.
The involvement of agencies such as the EFCC, NPF, ONSA and NDLEA reflects the need for a coordinated response that combines intelligence gathering, financial investigations, policing, prosecution and public awareness.
The challenge, however, goes beyond securing extraditions or arresting suspects. It also involves strengthening domestic investigative systems, improving cybercrime reporting, protecting vulnerable victims and ensuring that prosecutions are concluded effectively.
Gonzales’ visit has therefore placed renewed emphasis on a partnership in which both countries are expected to move from responding to individual cybercrime cases towards disrupting the wider criminal networks responsible for them.
The effectiveness of the collaboration will depend on how successfully Nigeria and the United States translate intelligence sharing and diplomatic commitments into stronger institutions, safer digital spaces and justice for victims.
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