A Nigerian man, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, has been extradited to the United States to face prosecution over allegations of sextortion that resulted in the tragic death of a 17-year-old American teenager. Lawal, 24, from Osun State, Nigeria, was flown to the U.S. on January 27, 2025, following an agreement with the Nigerian government that he would not be sentenced to death if convicted.
Lawal appeared in a federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, where he entered a not guilty plea to several serious charges, including child exploitation resulting in death, and the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. He is accused of posing as a young woman on social media to manipulate the teen, Gavin Guffey, into sending compromising photos. Lawal then extorted Gavin, threatening to share the images and destroy his reputation unless money was sent.
This harassment escalated to the point where Lawal also targeted Gavin’s family with similar demands. Unfortunately, the distress caused by these threats led to the teen’s death by suicide. The investigation into the case, which eventually led to Lawal’s extradition, highlights the devastating consequences of sextortion, a growing problem globally.
Lawal now faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted, with the charge of child exploitation resulting in death carrying a mandatory 30-year sentence. He will remain in custody without bail, with his next court hearing scheduled for February 3, 2025.
This case adds to the increasing number of sextortion-related crimes, particularly involving perpetrators from Nigeria. Just last year, two Nigerian brothers were sentenced to prison in the U.S. for targeting a 17-year-old in a sextortion scheme, marking the first successful prosecution of Nigerians for such crimes in the country. In light of these events, Instagram’s parent company, Meta, has taken steps to address the issue by removing thousands of accounts linked to sextortion activities originating from Nigeria.
The Nigerian government, acknowledging the severity of the issue, has invested millions of pounds into a state-of-the-art cyber-crime centre, signaling its commitment to tackling online exploitation. Uche Ifeanyi Henry, director of Nigeria’s National Cyber Crime Centre, has emphasized that the government is taking proactive measures to combat cybercrime and protect vulnerable individuals from such malicious activities.
As cases like Lawal’s continue to shed light on the dangers of sextortion, there is a growing call for both global and local authorities to strengthen their efforts to prevent and prosecute such crimes.
