A Nigerian man, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, has been extradited to the US to face prosecution for allegedly sextorting a minor, which tragically resulted in the victim’s death. Lawal, 24, hailing from Nigeria’s Osun state, was flown to the US after an agreement was struck with the Nigerian government to spare him from the death penalty if found guilty.
Recently, Lawal made an appearance in a federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, where he was seen wearing an orange prison jumpsuit with shackles on his wrists and ankles, as reported by the US media outlets. He pleaded not guilty to charges including child exploitation resulting in death and the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The investigation leading to Lawal’s extradition was initiated following the tragic suicide of 17-year-old Gavin Guffey, who was reportedly victimized by Lawal. The accused allegedly masqueraded as a young woman on social media and coerced the teenager into sharing compromising photos. Subsequently, he extorted and sent threatening messages to Guffey, demanding money in exchange for not leaking the photos and tarnishing his reputation. Lawal allegedly repeated this extortion tactic with other members of the victim’s family.
Lawal now faces the possibility of spending life in prison, with the charge of child exploitation resulting in death carrying a mandatory 30-year sentence. He remains held without bail, awaiting his next court hearing.
The tragic case of Gavin Guffey is not an isolated incident. In a similar incident last year, Murray Dowey, a 16-year-old from Dunblane, Britain, took his own life after falling victim to sextortion. Criminals coerced Dowey into sharing intimate photos of himself, followed by blackmail.
In a separate case in September 2024, two Nigerian brothers were convicted and sentenced to 17 years and six months in jail in the US for engaging in sextortion against a 17-year-old. This marked the first successful prosecution of Nigerians for sextortion in the US.
Efforts to combat sextortion schemes are underway, with Instagram owner Meta confirming the removal of thousands of accounts in Nigeria linked to such criminal activities. Additionally, Nigeria’s National Cyber Crime Centre, under the leadership of Uche Ifeanyi Henry, has emphasized the government’s commitment to address cybercrime by investing in a sophisticated cyber crime center.
The extradition and prosecution of Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal underscore the devastating impact of sextortion on vulnerable individuals and the urgent need to address this growing criminal phenomenon. As legal proceedings continue, the hope remains for justice to be served and for measures to be implemented to prevent further tragedies stemming from such heinous actions.