THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Lagos Zonal Command has facilitated the extradition of two siblings to the United States of America on Sunday, August 13, to face prosecution for sexual exploitation of children.
The siblings are Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20.
They are alleged to have extorted numerous young men and teenage boys in the Western District of Michigan and across the U.S.
The EFCC said it has, sometime in May 2023, initiated the extradition proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, against the Ogoshis alongside one Ezekiel Ejemeh Robert over-exploitation of minors and production of pornography, following a request by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Ogoshis and Ezekiel were indicted in a United States Federal Court on December 1, 2022, on charges of exploitation of minors, resulting in death, conspiracy to sexually exploit minors by causing the minors to produce child pornographic images that the defendants now use to blackmail them.
They are further charged with conspiracy to distribute child pornography, which borders on sending images to minors, their families and friends, as well as conspiracy to commit stalking through the Internet.
The offences carry a minimum of five years and maximum 20 years imprisonment.
According to a statement signed by EFCC Spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren on Monday, August 14, Samuel was charged with causing the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay of Marquette, Michigan, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2022.
EFCC added that investigations showed that the suspects conspired to conduct sex-based extortion of minors and adults in the United States of America.
“The trio allegedly hacked some social media accounts, posing to be young attractive women to entice unsuspecting victims to send their sexually explicit photographs.
“These pictures were then used to blackmail the victims, thereby forcing them into making huge financial payments,’ the EFCC stated.
The anti-fraud agency further said while the Ogoshi’s were arrested sometime in February 2023 around the Ojo axis of Lagos, Ezekiel was picked up in Nasarawa by operatives of the EFCC.
However, the third defendant, Robert, extradition is still pending.
A reporter with the ICIR
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