President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the arrest and extradition to the United States of two Nigerians accused of sexually exploiting and extorting minors.
Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale were arrested and extradited in August 2026 following Operation Artemis, a joint investigation targeting international criminal networks involved in sextortion and the sexual exploitation of children.
Both suspects are facing federal charges in the United States.
The Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, wrote to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, to commend the commission’s role in the investigation.
In the letter, Patel said the successful prosecution of the cases would not have been possible without the EFCC’s assistance and commitment to international law enforcement cooperation.
Tinubu, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commended the EFCC over the arrests and extraditions.
“I commend the EFCC Chairman and his team for their professionalism and dedication.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The president said international cooperation was necessary in pursuing offenders involved in crimes that cross national borders.
“Our fight against corruption is not measured by publicity but by results. Stronger institutions, effective law enforcement and international cooperation are essential to building a Nigeria where honest enterprise can thrive, and criminals are held accountable,” he added.
Tinubu urged the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies to sustain efforts against financial and related crimes, assuring them of continued government support.
The president also referred to Nigeria’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 as reflection of progress in the country’s financial crime reforms.
