South Africa Extradites Six Nigerians to US Over Romance Scams Involving More Than 100 Women
South African authorities have extradited six Nigerian Nationals to the United States over allegations that they defrauded more than 100 women of over R100 million through online romance scams.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) announced the development on Friday, September 11, 2026, stating that the six men are alleged members of the Black Axe network and are wanted by United States authorities in connection with alleged wire fraud and money laundering.
According to SAPS, the suspects were arrested in South Africa in 2021 following a major operation conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, popularly known as the Hawks.
The Police alleged that the suspects targeted more than 100 women in the United States through online romance or love scams, allegedly defrauding their victims of more than R100 million.
“The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the #Hawks, in collaboration with #INTERPOL South Africa, will today facilitate the extradition of six Nigerian nationals to the United States of America,” SAPS said.
The authorities said the extradition was coordinated by INTERPOL South Africa.
The six suspects were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they were scheduled to be handed over to officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service, who had arrived in South Africa for the handover.
“The formal handover is expected to take place this afternoon,” SAPS said.
The extradition followed the arrest of the six Nigerians in South Africa in 2021 during what authorities described as a major takedown operation by the Hawks/DPCI.
Speaking on the development, Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the extradition demonstrated the continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and their international counterparts in tackling transnational organised crime.
“This extradition demonstrates the continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and international law enforcement partners in disrupting transnational organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions face due legal process,” Mogale said.
The development comes amid increased international efforts to investigate alleged cyber-enabled financial crimes involving suspects operating across national borders.
Global Mirror News reports that the case is now expected to proceed through the United States legal system, where the six Nigerians will have the opportunity to answer the allegations against them.
The extradition also comes shortly after Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in August extradited two Nigerian nationals, Mudashiru Afeez Olawale and Adebola Festus, to the United States over separate allegations involving the online exploitation and sextortion of two teenage boys who later died by suicide.
US authorities had alleged that FBI investigations linked the two men to separate sextortion schemes targeting male minors.
However, the allegations against the six Nigerians extradited from South Africa remain accusations at this stage. They have not been established as convictions, and the suspects are entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence as their cases proceed before US authorities and the courts.
