Nigeria says it has spent a lot of money to fight online crimes.
A 24-year-old Nigerian man, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, was sent to the US to face charges for allegedly blackmailing a teenager online, which reportedly led to the victim’s death. BBC reports that Lawal was flown to the US after an agreement was reached with the Nigerian government to ensure he wouldn’t face the death penalty if convicted.
Lawal appeared in a South Carolina court wearing an orange jumpsuit and shackles. He pleaded not guilty to charges like child exploitation resulting in death, as well as making and sharing inappropriate images of children. According to BBC, these charges could mean a life sentence, with a minimum of 30 years for the child exploitation charge alone.
The investigation started after 17-year-old Gavin Guffey from the US died by suicide in 2022. Authorities say Lawal pretended to be a young woman online and convinced Gavin to share private photos. He then threatened to share these photos unless the teen sent money. BBC adds that Lawal allegedly targeted the victim’s family in similar ways.
This case is one of many tied to sextortion scams originating in Nigeria. Last year, BBC highlighted the tragic story of a 16-year-old British boy, Murray Dowey, who also died after falling victim to sextortion. In another case, two Nigerian brothers were sentenced in the US for a similar scam.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, has reportedly removed thousands of Nigerian accounts involved in sextortion schemes.
According to BBC, Uche Ifeanyi Henry, the director of Nigeria’s National Cyber Crime Centre, said the government has invested millions in a modern cybercrime center to tackle the problem and prove Nigeria is taking action.
This situation sheds light on the dark side of online crime and the ongoing efforts to bring justice to the victims and their families.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce854kr19wno