By Mapaballo Borotho

- Six Nigerian nationals wanted in the US over alleged wire fraud and money laundering charges are being handed over to American authorities.
- The Hawks and Interpol South Africa are facilitating the handover to the FBI and US Secret Service.
- The men are accused of using online relationships to allegedly defraud more than 100 victims of over R100 million.
Six Nigerian nationals wanted in the United States for allegedly running online love scams will be handed over to American authorities on Friday, 11 September 2026.
The group, which was arrested in South Africa in 2021, will be handed over to US authorities by the Hawks and Interpol South Africa.
“The six men are alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network and are wanted by the US authorities in connection with charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
“The suspects are alleged to have targeted more than 100 women in the United States, allegedly defrauding them of more than R100 million through online romance or love scams,” said Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale.
The victims included pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to allegedly defraud them of their money.
Through the coordination of INTERPOL South Africa, the six men will be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service, who arrived in South Africa on Friday morning.
The formal handover is expected to take place this afternoon.
“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 added.
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