South African authorities are set to transfer six Nigerian nationals to United States law enforcement officials on Friday over allegations of defrauding more than 100 American women through online romance schemes.
The suspects are accused of obtaining over 100 million rand ($6m; £5m) from their victims, according to South African authorities.
The men, arrested in 2021, are suspected of belonging to Black Axe, a Nigerian criminal organisation linked to internet fraud, human trafficking and violent crime.
South Africa’s elite Hawks police unit said several victims were pensioners and business owners who were allegedly deceived through carefully constructed online relationships before being persuaded to surrender their funds.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the accused would be taken from a correctional centre in Cape Town to the airport, where they would be transferred to representatives of the FBI and US Secret Service.
They are expected to face charges including wire fraud and money laundering after arriving in the United States.
Black Axe is regarded as a highly organised criminal network with activities spanning Africa, Europe and North America.
A 2021 BBC Eye investigation described the group as one of the world’s most extensive and dangerous organised crime networks.
Nigeria remains a major recruitment base for the organisation, with reports indicating that some recruits are drawn into the group while attending university.
International authorities have pursued Black Axe for years.
The FBI began major investigations into the network in 2019 and 2021, resulting in charges against more than 35 people over large-scale online fraud.
Interpol has subsequently supported coordinated crackdowns in several countries.
In its most recent operation, conducted between November 2025 and June 2026, the international policing body said seven locations in South Africa associated with romance and investment fraud were searched.
The operation resulted in 39 arrests, the confiscation of funds and restrictions placed on more than 250 bank accounts.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong