Nigerian sextortion arrests after suicide

Two Nigerian men have been arrested and charged over an alleged “sextortion” offence, which led to an Australian boy taking his own life last year.

Initial inquiries by police after the boy committed suicide revealed the boy had been engaging with an unknown person online, who threatened to share personal photos with his family and friends if he did not pay $500. NSW cybercrime squad detectives traced the messages to Nigeria, and brought in the Australian Federal Police to help them.

Investigators worked with officials from South Africa to share intelligence with the Nigerian authorities.

In a statement on Monday, NSW Police said detectives were last month informed two young men were found in a slum in Nigeria, where they had been arrested and charged.

Australia has no capacity to extradite the men, meaning they will be dealt with locally.

NSW police said there had been a “huge spike” in sextortion cases, up nearly 400 per cent in the past 18 months; they said the more reports that came in, the more they were able to act.

Detective superintendent Matthew Craft, from the state’s cybercrime squad, said he wanted young people “everywhere” to know they didn’t need to suffer in silence.

“We want young people to continue to report these cases, and to never be embarrassed to talk to police. Sextortion is a very real crime that we can take serious action against,” he said. “These arrests in Nigeria show how far police are willing to go to seek justice on behalf of our young community.” Lifeline 13 11 14