A Nigerian man has been sentenced to prison, to be served concurrently, after a year-long international investigation into a financial sextortion case that began in Surrey, B.C., following the sudden death of a youth.On February 13, 2023, Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a youth’s sudden death. Investigators quickly determined the teen had been a victim of financial sextortion and launched an investigation named Project Epa.The investigation revealed the youth was tricked into sending explicit images to someone online posing as a teenage girl. The suspect then used the images to extort the victim, threatening to release the photos unless he sent gift cards..By May 2023, Surrey RCMP had identified two suspects operating from Nigeria. Investigators collaborated with international partners, including the FBI, Australian Federal Police, and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), and traveled to Lagos in July to support the investigation.In August 2023, the EFCC arrested two suspects. On June 19, one of them, 27-year-old Olukeye Adedayo Olalekan, was convicted in a Lagos court on 18 charges, including transmission of child pornography, fraudulent impersonation, and sextortion.He received two years on the first four counts relating to child pornography and cyberstalking, four years for money laundering charges, and seven years for obtaining property under false pretences. All sentences will run concurrently..“This outcome came from collaborative efforts from the Surrey RCMP, the FBI, the Australian Federal Police and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission,” said Superintendent Darren Schneider.“We believe this case delivers a strong message that sextortions and fraud will not be tolerated in our community.”
