Six Nigerians accused of romance scams to be extradited to the US
The six will face wire fraud and money-laundry charges in the US, South African police say.
Six Nigerians accused of romance scams to be extradited to the US
Pensioners and business people were targeted through fake online relationships
South African police are set to hand six Nigerians wanted in the US over alleged online romance scams to FBI agents later on Friday.
The men are accused of targeting more than 100 women in the US and cheating them out of over 100m rand ($6m; £5m), according to South African authorities.
Those being extradited were arrested in 2021 and are thought to be members of the crime syndicate Black Axe - a Nigerian mafia-style gang linked to human trafficking, internet fraud and murder.
Among the reported victims were pensioners and businesspeople "who were targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money", South Africa's elite Hawks police unit said.
According to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, the group will be "transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town" to the airport on Friday morning, where they will be "handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service".
She added that they would face wire fraud and money-laundering charges when they arrive in the US.
Black Axe is a shadowy criminal network known for extreme violence and operating across Africa, Europe and North America.
A BBC Eye investigation in 2021 indicated that the syndicate had grown into one of the world's most far-reaching and dangerous organised crime groups.
Nigeria remains its main recruitment base, and many of its members are university educated and initiated while at school.
The group has been on law enforcement agencies' radar for several years.
FBI operations against Black Axe began in November 2019 and September 2021, ultimately charging more than 35 people with multi-million dollar internet fraud.
Since then, Interpol has coordinated several further operations in multiple countries targeting Black Axe.
Last month, Interpol said that in its latest operation - carried out between November 2025 and June 2026 - seven sites in South Africa linked to a syndicate involved in romance and investment scams were raided.
That operation led to 39 arrests, the seizure of money and the blocking of more than 250 bank accounts.