Six Nigerians accused of defrauding more than 100 women in the United States are set to be extradited from South Africa to face charges over an alleged $6 million romance scam.
South Africa’s elite Hawks police unit said the suspects, who were arrested in 2021, would be handed over to officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Secret Service on Friday.
The suspects are alleged to be members of Black Axe, a Nigerian-origin organised crime network that has been linked by law enforcement agencies to internet fraud and other serious crimes.
According to the Hawks, the alleged victims included pensioners and businesspeople who were targeted through fake online relationships and subsequently defrauded of their money.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the suspects would be taken from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport before being handed over to US authorities.
They are expected to face charges including wire fraud and money laundering in the United States.
The identities of the six suspects have not been publicly released.
The extradition comes amid continued international efforts to dismantle Black Axe networks. Interpol said last month that several sites linked to a syndicate involved in romance and investment scams had been raided in South Africa during an operation conducted between November 2025 and June 2026.
