A United States court has sentenced a 25-year-old Nigerian, Samuel Abiodun, to five years in prison for his involvement in a sextortion scheme that tragically led to the death of a teenage victim.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, David Metcalf, revealing that Abiodun was sentenced on Tuesday. He had earlier been arrested in Nigeria alongside an accomplice, Afeez Adewale, through a collaborative operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Nigerian security agencies.
Both men were extradited to the United States in July 2024 and formally charged the following month. In December 2024, Abiodun pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud linked to the online sextortion and subsequent death of the young victim.
Another suspect in the case, identified as Aina, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to several offences, including cyberstalking, making interstate threats to harm reputation, extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and wire fraud. Aina is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2025, and could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The third accomplice, Afeez Adewale, has been charged in absentia with money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud. He remains in Nigeria, awaiting extradition to the United States.
Speaking on Abiodun’s involvement, Metcalf noted that the convict acted as a financial conduit in the scheme, which inflicted severe emotional trauma on the victim and left his family devastated. “These criminals target vulnerable young people for financial gain, with no regard for the consequences,” Metcalf stated.
He further emphasised that the prosecution sends a strong message to cybercriminals around the world: “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue offenders, and if you continue to exploit innocent people, you may end up in a US prison.”
Metcalf expressed appreciation for the vital support of the Nigerian government in facilitating the extradition of Abiodun and his accomplice. He specifically acknowledged the roles of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The case highlights the growing global threat posed by online sextortion and the importance of international cooperation in combating cyber-enabled crimes.