By Amah
A 24-year-old indigene of Osun State, Abolore Lawal, is at risk of life imprisonment following his extradition to the United States over allegations of sextorting and blackmailing a teenager into committing suicide.
PUNCH Metro learnt from a statement obtained on the US Attorney’s office website on Tuesday that Lawal was extradited to the US on Friday with the assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The suspect was said to have allegedly posed as a young woman on social media to coerce the 17-year-old victim into sending compromising photographs of himself.
The statement noted that after Lawal obtained the photographs, he allegedly used them to blackmail the victim by threatening to leak the photos unless the teenager sent him money.
He was also accused of reaching out to the victim’s family, harassing and coercing them into sending him money.
The Columbia Justice Department noted that the matter came to light after the victim committed suicide as a result of coercion from Lawal.
The statement said, “This investigation was launched after Gavin Guffey, a 17-year-old from Rock Hill, died by suicide in July 2022 after being victimised by Lawal’s scheme.” Punch
