A man has been charged with several offences in Nigeria after a 2023 financial sextortion investigation in Surrey, BC. “As this investigation indicates, the Surrey RCMP is committed to working with domestic and international law enforcement partners to identify, arrest and charge online predators,” said Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Unit Sgt. Derek Bonner in a Tuesday press release. “Thank you to the multiple partners and agencies who assisted with this investigation including the RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre, the RCMP Liaison Officer deployed to Nigeria, the FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit, EFCC (Economic and Financial Crime Commission), and the AFP (Australian Federal Police).” In 2023, Surrey RCMP said frontline officers responded to the sudden death of a male youth at a residence. It added the preliminary investigation determined the youth had been a victim of financial sextortion and an investigation was launched soon after. In the days that followed, the RCMP took control of this investigation named Project Epa. Investigators collected credible evidence indicating the youth had been tricked into sending explicit photos to a suspect online who posed as a teenage girl. The suspect blackmailed the youth with threats to share the photos with his family and friends unless he complied with demands of purchasing gift cards and sending them to him. In May, the RCMP acknowledged it identified two suspects involved and determined they were operating in Nigeria. It said it joined forces with domestic and international law enforcement partners to investigate Project Epa and provide assistance on a larger operation. To execute the investigation, RCMP investigators travelled to Lagos to work with the FBI, AFP and EFCC. The EFCC launched a parallel investigation into the suspects identified during Project Epa and arrested the two men with assistance from the RCMP in August. One of the men was released without charges and the other was charged with multiple offences under the Nigerian Criminal Code. Nigerian resident Adedayo Olukeye, 26, is being held in custody awaiting trial in Nigeria on a number of charges, including possession and distribution of child pornography, attempts at extortion by threats, money laundering and retention of proceeds of an unlawful act.The RCMP said financial sextortion is a global crisis, impacting youth in Canada and around the world. Surrey RCMP Special Victims Unit Sgt. Dave Knight said its message to youth is they “are not alone and there is life after images.”“It is important to know that you will not be in trouble with the police and you are not the one to blame in this situation,” said Knight. To parents, Knight said its message to them is to talk to their children about sextortion and teach them how to be safe online. “We all wish to protect our kids and everyone has a role to play,” he said. “Learn about the signs of extortion and learn how to help youth not become victims of it.”The youth’s family acknowledged it has been almost one year since they lost him. “He loved hockey and he loved life,” said his family. “Not a day goes by that we don’t miss him.”As the family grieves the loss of their son, they said they “want other parents to know this could happen to anyone.” They encouraged parents to talk to their children about internet safety and keep the door to communication open so they can ask for help. Since Olukeye has been charged, they said they find solace in him facing accountability. They thanked the RCMP for providing them with support and keeping them appraised of what was going on throughout the investigation. The family has asked for privacy.“We do not wish to provide anything more and we do not wish to be contacted by the media,” they said. This incident comes after Prince George RCMP asked parents in November to have open, honest conversations with their children about sextortion amid an investigation into a child’s suicide because of it. READ MORE: Prince George RCMP urge parents to talk about sextortion after 12-year-old child’s suicide“We are calling for parents and caregivers to be honest with their youth about the dangers of online activity, especially if they are engaging in chats with people they don’t know in real life,” said Prince George RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Jennifer Cooper. “While not every case of online sextortion will end in tragedy, the consequences of this kind of activity can follow a youth for their entire life, which needs to be something we talk about openly with our kids.”
