Sodiq Oladebo, an admission seeker who was extorted by officers attached to the Osun State Police Command, has been refunded the N20,000 that was unlawfully taken from him. The incident, which occurred while Oladebo was traveling from Osun to Benin, Edo State, was brought to light by the victim himself, prompting swift action from the authorities. Following NigezieXtreme initial report on the extortion incident, Oladebo’s brother, Suleman, confirmed to The Punch that the full amount extorted had been returned. “They have refunded it just now. My brother just called me. I commend the Nigeria Police, especially the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, and the Osun State Command’s PRO for their efforts,” Suleman revealed. The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, had previously urged Oladebo to reach out, assuring him that she had been actively working on the matter since becoming aware of it. In a tweet, Opalola stated her commitment to resolving the issue, urging the victim to contact her. She tweeted; “Since I heard about the extortion of the admission seeker by some policemen in Osun State, I have been working seriously on the matter and of course, I have made success. I want that victim to please call or chat with me.” Recounting the incident, Oladebo explained that while traveling along the Ilesa Expressway, their vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint by police officers. After searching their bags and finding nothing incriminating, the officers intimidated Oladebo and demanded a sum of N100,000 from him, threatening to take him to the police station if he failed to comply. Having only N99,000 in his Palm Pay application, which was intended to be used for purchasing an Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) form for university admission, Oladebo eventually transferred N20,000 to a Point-of-Sale operator, as demanded by the officers. With the refund of the extorted amount, Oladebo’s ordeal has reached a satisfactory conclusion.
Three Nigerian men, Samuel Ogoshi (22), Samson Ogochi (20), and Ezekiel Ejehem Robert (19), are currently facing accusations of global sexual extortion that resulted in the suicide of a teenage boy in the United States. The trio is awaiting extradition to the U.S., where they have been indicted and charged with sexually extorting several young men and teenage boys in the Western District of Michigan and other parts of the country. Mark Totten, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, revealed that the federal indictment against the three Nigerians was unsealed on May 3, 2023. One of the accused individuals is also charged with causing the death of Jordan DeMay, a young man from Marquette, Michigan. “On March 25, 2022, 17-year-old DeMay was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death prompted an investigation by the Marquette County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which culminated in the indictment unsealed today,” the statement read. “Sextortion is a horrible crime that can leave especially younger victims feeling ashamed with nowhere to turn,” Mark Totten said. “My heart goes out to the family of Jordan DeMay. Nothing can bring Jordan back, but my office is committed to securing justice and, alongside Jordan’s family, sending an urgent warning so others can protect themselves and their families. We will travel the world to hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable.” “Financial sextortion is a global crisis that impacts teens in our country and around the globe. That’s why the FBI is working hand in hand with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to prevent youth from becoming victims of this tragic crime and to hold those who target our teens in this manner accountable – no matter where in the world they may be,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. Speaking, EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said: “International cooperation is critical. In the last two years, this coordination has strengthened efforts connected with the extradition, deportation, and mutual legal or other assistance between Nigeria and the United States involving Economic and Financial Crimes.” 
