The United States Consulate in Lagos and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have called for enhanced information-sharing mechanisms with Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to strengthen joint efforts against sextortion and other cross-border financial crimes.
The appeal came during a courtesy visit on Monday by SSA James Smith, Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché at the US Consulate, and SSA Thomas Pepper of the FBI Cyber Division Headquarters to ACE I Bawa Kaltungo, Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2.
According to a statement released by the EFCC on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, the US officials praised the commission for its effective investigations and ongoing commitment to tackling sextortion and transnational financial crimes.
Smith emphasised that the visit was designed to bolster existing partnerships, with a particular focus on intelligence sharing involving criminal networks spanning Nigeria and other countries.
“The visit aimed to strengthen the existing collaboration between the U.S. Consulate and the Commission, particularly in the area of information sharing in combating criminal activities involving both Nigerians and foreigners,” he said.
In response, Kaltungo expressed gratitude for the engagement and reaffirmed the EFCC’s readiness to cooperate fully where needed.
The anti-graft agency described the meeting as a clear demonstration of both nations’ shared resolve to intensify cooperation against sextortion, cybercrime, and related transnational offences.
The push for closer ties comes amid a global surge in financially motivated sextortion cases, many linked to Nigerian syndicates. In April 2025, the FBI arrested 22 Nigerians in a major operation codenamed Artemis targeting a scheme blamed for over 20 teen suicides in the United States since 2021.
US authorities have reported thousands of cases, with financial losses running into tens of millions of dollars, underscoring the urgent need for international law enforcement collaboration.
