Six Nigerians Extradited to US Over $6m Romance Scam

Six Nigerians Extradited to US Over $6m Romance Scam

Six Nigerian nationals accused of operating a sophisticated online romance scam that defrauded more than 100 American women of approximately $6 million (over N8 billion) have been extradited from South Africa to the United States to face trial. The suspects, arrested in Cape Town in 2021, are believed to be members of Black Axe, a notorious Nigerian organised crime syndicate linked to internet fraud, human trafficking and murder. They were handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport on Friday. The extradition coincides with a significant diplomatic escalation between Nigeria and South Africa, as Nigeria’s National Assembly announced the suspension of all official visits to South Africa over recurring xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals.

South Africa’s elite Hawks police unit confirmed that the six suspects were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport, where they were formally transferred to US custody. Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the men were wanted by US authorities on charges including wire fraud and money laundering. Upon arrival in the United States, they are expected to face federal indictments. The suspects allegedly targeted pensioners and businesspeople through “sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money,” according to the Hawks. The total losses exceeded 100 million rand, equivalent to approximately $6 million or £5 million.

According to the US Justice Department, members of the group used social media websites, online dating platforms, and internet-based phone calls to identify and communicate with victims in the United States while operating under numerous aliases. A common narrative involved a purported online love interest travelling to Cape Town to work on a construction project. The victim would then be told that this person had been mugged and needed a phone and other electronic devices sent to South Africa. Victims were also persuaded to provide loans for purported crane repairs, legal fees from an accident at the site, or foreign taxes to release a larger sum of money owed to them. The group allegedly also used victims’ bank accounts and US-based financial accounts to transfer money to South Africa. In some cases, victims were convinced to open financial accounts in the US that the alleged conspirators were then permitted to use themselves.

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Black Axe began as a Nigerian student fraternity in the late 1970s called the Neo Black Movement of Africa. It has since evolved into a structured, violent criminal organisation frequently engaged in financial cybercrime. A BBC Eye investigation in 2021 described the syndicate as one of the most far-reaching and dangerous organised crime groups in the world. Nigeria remains its main recruitment ground, and many members are university-educated and inducted during their schooling. The FBI launched operations against Black Axe in November 2019 and September 2021, leading to charges against more than 35 individuals over alleged multimillion-dollar internet fraud. In 2021, the US Justice Department announced federal charges against eight men allegedly linked to the group, including conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. Interpol has coordinated multiple operations targeting the network. In its most recent operation, conducted between November 2025 and June 2026, seven locations in South Africa linked to a syndicate involved in romance and investment scams were raided. The operation led to 39 arrests, the seizure of money, and the blocking of more than 250 bank accounts.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s National Assembly has resolved to suspend all official visits to South Africa and boycott South African-hosted or organised legislative activities until further notice. The decision, announced in a statement signed by Clerk to the National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana, followed consultations between the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The National Assembly expressed “grave concern over the continuing reports of xenophobic attacks, violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other forms of hostility directed at Nigerians and other African nationals resident in the Republic of South Africa.” The leadership noted that despite repeated appeals by the Federal Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders to South African authorities, reports of such incidents had persisted.

The suspension covers all official visits to South Africa by the National Assembly, its committees, lawmakers, officials and staff, as well as participation in conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings and legislative exchanges organised or hosted by South African legislative authorities. It also includes both physical and virtual participation in South African-hosted legislative programmes. The National Assembly emphasised that the decision was not intended to undermine longstanding diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa, but rather constituted “a strong expression of concern over the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses in South Africa.” It called on the South African government to take “urgent and concrete measures” to protect Nigerians and other African nationals, prevent further xenophobic attacks, investigate reported incidents thoroughly, arrest suspected perpetrators and ensure those found culpable are prosecuted.

Nigerian officials have said at least 98 Nigerians have been killed in mob attacks and hate-related incidents in South Africa since 2022. This year alone, 1,695 Nigerians have been voluntarily evacuated amid xenophobia-related tensions, according to Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner in Pretoria. South African authorities have reported that more than 86,000 African migrants have been repatriated in recent months due to xenophobic violence, though figures released by migrants’ home countries put the total at approximately 178,000. Nigeria has evacuated 1,490 nationals through government-supported flights. The tensions are a recurring feature of Nigeria-South Africa relations, with major outbreaks occurring in 2008, 2015 and 2019. The worst episode in recent memory occurred in 2008, when more than 60 people lost their lives. In July, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola led a delegation to Abuja for talks aimed at easing tensions, saying the South African government condemned “all forms of xenophobia.”