During his visit to Abuja, Nigeria, Michael Gonzales, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), ran down the key points.
U.S. and Nigerian efforts to combat romance scams, transnational cybercrime, and financially motivated sextortion have been stepped up, according to a Monday statement from the US Mission.
The United States Embassy in Abuja stated that Gonzales’ visit was to further US-Nigeria security priorities in areas of mutual concern.
During his visit, which was timed to coincide with Nigeria’s Cybercrime Awareness Week, he met with senior officials from various Nigerian government agencies, including the EFCC, ONSA, NDLEA, NPF, and the Office of the National Security Adviser. During these meetings, he stressed the need of strengthening cooperation against cyber-enabled crime.
The US Mission reports that Gonzales met with Nigerian security officials to explore enhancing collaboration in the fight against transnational cybercrime, including romance scams, financially driven sextortion, and others.
“Recent extraditions demonstrate that when the United States and Nigeria combine investigative, diplomatic and law enforcement capabilities, international borders do not provide sanctuary for those who prey on their citizens,” the statement read.
“In August, Nigeria extradited two alleged cybercriminals to the United States,” the statement added, emphasising the speed with which cybercrime can traverse borders. DAS Gonzales urged US and Nigerian counterparts to work together to combat this type of crime. They are each facing accusations related to distinct sextortion incidents where juveniles from the United States committed suicide for financial gain.
The US Embassy in Abuja’s FBI Legal Attaché Office has collaborated with the EFCC on forty-one extraditions since 2022, with five of those cases wrapping up in 2026. When compared to the four arrests and five extraditions registered between our two nations between 2012 and 2021, there was a significant increase.
U.S. assistance to Nigeria is not quantified by the amount of programs funded, DAS Gonzales emphasised again.