The United States’ Justice Department has announced the extradition of two Nigerian men to the U.S from Nigeria to face prosecution in two separate cases of alleged financially-motivated sextortion of minors.

The statement issued Tuesday by the U.S mission in Nigeria said that a 26-year-old Adebola Festus Adekunle from Lagos State and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, were arrested as part of a wider operation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for sexual extortionists targeting minors in the U.S.

Adekunle is charged with alleged sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, coercion and enticement of a minor and interstate threats with intent to extort.

He appeared in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi for an initial appearance Monday and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and mandatory minimum prison sentences on at, least two charges.

Olawale, 24, on the other hand, is charged with offenses relating to sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement of minors, distribution of child pornography and other offences.

He appeared in federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina, before U.S. Magistrate Judge L. Patrick Auld Monday.

“He was arrested in Nigeria on August 9, 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States and he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and mandatory minimum prison sentences on at least, two charges.”

Adding: “Child exploitation resulting in death charge carries a minimum penalty of 30 years in prison. The Department of Justice and this administration have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting America’s children from exploitation and sexual abuse.”

The U.S government warned that it has strengthened its international law enforcement partnerships to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind financially-motivated sextortion.

Both cases are a result of Operation Artemis, the FBI’s surge against financially motivated sextortion rings operating from Nigeria. In coordination with domestic and international law for enforcement partners, FBI deployed agents, analysts and forensic experts to Nigeria to confront perpetrators of these deadly schemes directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide.

“This same focused, multi-agency approach now drives a broader national effort to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind sextortion and other predatory schemes.)

Adekunle and Olawale were extradited to the U.S on Aug. 27 with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and FBI agents from both the Jackson and Greensboro Resident Agencies, who traveled to Nigeria and took them into U.S. custody.

U.S government commended the support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities in the arrest and extradition of the alleged offenders.