Five alleged Black Axe members extradited to face US fraud charges
Five online scammers are about to find out that cybercrime can have real-world consequences.
- Five alleged Black Axe leaders were extradited from South Africa to the US on September 11 to face fraud charges.
- US prosecutors accuse the defendants of wire fraud and money laundering between 2011 and 2021.
- Prosecutors allege the group targeted US victims through romance scams, advance-fee schemes, and business email fraud.
- Three defendants also face aggravated identity theft charges, according to the Justice Department.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Five members of the Black Axe cybercrime gang have been extradited from South Africa to the US for engaging in internet scams and money laundering.
57-year-old Perry Osagiede, 42-year-old Franklyn Osagiede, 40-year-old Osariemen Clement, 42-year-old Collins Otughwor, and 38-year-old Musa Mudashiru are accused of committing wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering between 2011 and 2021.
Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede, and Collins Otughwor are also charged with aggravated identity theft.
According to the US Department of Justice, the defendants were leaders of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as Black Axe.
The suspects allegedly talked to victims in the US to trick them into sending money and items of value overseas. When victims refused to cooperate, the conspirators used manipulative tactics to coerce the payments and shipments.
The defendants were arrested in South Africa in 2021 and were extradited to the US on September 11th, 2026.
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If found guilty, they face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charges, a maximum of 20 years for money laundering, and two more years for aggravated identity theft charges.
“The alleged members of Black Axe believed that operating behind electronic devices thousands of miles away would place them beyond the reach of American justice. They were wrong,” US Attorney Robert Frazer said in a statement.
“This extradition demonstrates that our Office, together with our law enforcement partners in the United States and abroad, will relentlessly pursue transnational criminal organizations that victimize Americans, no matter where they operate and hide.”
Black Axe is an infamous Nigerian cybercrime gang that emerged from the country’s university confraternity culture in the late 1970s and is engaged in fraudulent online financial activities, including romance scams, cryptocurrency scams, investment scams, business email compromise, and money laundering.
Europol also links the organization to violent crimes like drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
Last month, an international coalition of law enforcement authorities carried out a series of operations against the group across Europe and Africa. In a coordinated operation called Operation Jackal IV, 58 suspects were arrested and 263 people were identified as having ties to West African organized crime groups.
In January 2026, Spanish authorities arrested 34 individuals believed to be connected to Black Axe.
