The United States Consulate in Lagos and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have called for stronger information sharing with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to deepen collaboration in tackling sextortion and other transnational financial crimes.
The request was made during a courtesy visit by the Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the United States Consulate, SSA James Smith, and SSA Thomas Pepper of the FBI Cyber Division Headquarters to the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, ACE I Bawa Kaltungo.
This was contained in a statement posted by the anti-graft agency on its X handle on Tuesday.
During the meeting held on Monday, the US officials also commended the EFCC for its investigative effectiveness and sustained efforts in combating sextortion and transnational financial crimes.
Speaking during the interactive session, Smith said the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing collaboration between the U.S. Consulate and the commission, particularly in the area of information sharing.
He said, “The visit aimed to strengthen the existing collaboration between the U.S. Consulate and the Commission, particularly in the area of information sharing in combating criminal activities involving both Nigerians and foreigners.”
Responding, Kaltungo thanked the delegation for the visit and assured them of the commission’s continued cooperation.
He said, “I thank you for the visit and assure you of our utmost cooperation where necessary.”
The EFCC said the engagement underscored the commitment of both countries to strengthening cooperation against sextortion, cybercrime and other transnational financial crimes.
In April 2025, the FBI arrested 22 Nigerians allegedly involved in a financially motivated sextortion scheme that has been blamed for more than 20 teen suicides in the United States since 2021.
FBI arrests 22 Nigerians in sextortion scheme linked to teen suicides
In the report published on Thursday, April 24, the arrests were part of a first-of-its-kind global operation, codenamed Artemis, launched in 2023 after receiving thousands of reports of teen boys being coerced into sharing sexually explicit photos online and then extorted with threats of exposure unless they paid.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported over 34,000 sextortion victims in 2023, rising to more than 54,000 last year, with financial losses totalling nearly $65 million over the past two years.
From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) recorded over 12,600 minors—mostly boys—targeted in sextortion schemes.
