The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the arrest of 22 Nigerians allegedly involved in a series of sextortion schemes that have resulted in the deaths of more than 20 teenage boys in the United States since 2021.
The arrests followed Operation Artemis, a major international crackdown carried out in collaboration with law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
According to a statement published on the FBI’s website, the suspects were apprehended after an almost two-year investigation into online sextortion rackets targeting teenage boys across various social media platforms.
The FBI disclosed that the perpetrators posed as young women online, enticing victims into sharing sexually explicit images. Once obtained, the images were used to extort money from the victims under the threat of public exposure.
“In many cases, even after payments were made, the threats continued—pushing some victims to tragic ends,” the statement added.
Speaking on the development, Special Agent Karen R., who coordinated the FBI’s involvement, said: “This is not a victimless crime. These are real children suffering real consequences.”
