South Africa to extradite six Nigerian nationals to US

South African law enforcement agencies, including the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) and Interpol South Africa, are facilitating the extradition of six Nigerian nationals to the United States. The men are alleged members of the Black Axe organized criminal network.

The suspects face charges of wire fraud and money laundering related to an online romance scam operation. Authorities allege the group targeted more than 100 women in the U.S., including businesspeople and pensioners, defrauding them of more than R100 million through sophisticated online relationships.

The six individuals were originally arrested in South Africa in 2021 following a major takedown operation. They are being transferred from a Cape Town correctional facility to Cape Town International Airport to be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service.