Nigerian brothers get 17 years for sextortion that led to Michigan teen's death

Two brothers from Nigeria were sentenced Thursday to 17 1/2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually extorting more than 100 young men and teenage boys across the United States, including a Michigan high school student who died by suicide, prosecutors said.

Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, each pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to exploit teenage boys sexually and were later extradited from Nigeria to the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan. They were accused of running an international sextortion ring in which they posed as young women and targeted over 100 victims, including at least 11 minors.

Prosecutors said the Ogoshis conducted their sextortion scheme while living in Nigeria, where they bought hacked social media accounts and used them to lure victims with fake profiles. The scheme resulted in the death of 17-year-old high school student, Jordan DeMay, in March 2022.

DeMay died from a self-inflicted gunshot at his home in Marquette, Michigan, after he was blackmailed by Samuel Ogoshi, according to court records.

"To criminals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice. We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go halfway around the world to do so," U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement. "And to parents, teenagers, and everyone who uses a cell phone: please, please be careful. These devices can connect you to criminal networks around the world. Don’t assume people are who they say they are. Don’t share compromising images. And if you’re a victim, please reach out."

Financial sextortion schemes have spiked in recent years with scammers lurking on social media, pretending to be attractive women and persuading men to send nude or suggestive photographs and videos. They then use the compromising imagery to blackmail the victim by threatening to post it on social media or send it to the victim's loved ones in exchange for cash.
 

Ogoshi brothers created collages of victims' personal photos

Prosecutors said the Ogoshis used their fake social media profiles to message victims. They researched online about the victims to learn where they lived, worked, attended school, and to find out the identities of victims' families and friends.

The Ogoshis then solicited sexually explicit images from their minor victims and created a collage of photographs that included the compromising image with other photos of the victim and their school, family, and friends. The two brothers "threatened to disclose the collages to the family, friends, and classmates of the victim unless the victim agreed to pay money using online cash applications," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The Ogoshis "used and shared scripts and ideas of how to extort money from the victims," according to court records. A script excerpt showed an example:

"Hey, I have screenshot all ur followers and tags and those that comment on ur post. I can send this nudes to everyone and also send your nudes Until it goes viral….All you’ve to do is to cooperate with me and I will not expose you," an indictment reads.
 

Michigan teen blackmailed with sexually explicit image for $1K

The Ogoshis used an Instagram account under the username "dani.robertts," according to court records. On March 25, 2022, Samuel Ogoshi used the account to target DeMay.

Court records show that Samuel Ogoshi solicited a sexually explicit image from DeMay and then threatened to share the image to the teen's social media followers, and his family and friends if he didn't pay $1000. After DeMay only paid $300, Samuel Ogoshi made more threats to send the compromising photo to DeMay's family and friends.

DeMay then messaged that he was going to kill himself, according to court records. Message excerpts included in court records show Samuel Ogoshi responding with "Good," "Do that fast," and "Or I’ll make you do it."

Prosecutors said Samson Ogoshi used the same Instagram account to target a 21-year-old who lived in Warrens, Wisconsin.
 

Sextortion schemes operated on international scale

A June report, released jointly by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and technology nonprofit Thorn, found that teenage boys are often the primary target in these schemes. The report also identified Nigeria as one of the countries most often tied to sextortion schemes.

Those involved in the schemes are also linked to large crime networks or smaller coordinated networks. Reuters reported in July that Meta Platforms, which owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, had removed about 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that attempted to engage in sextortion schemes mostly aimed at adult men in the U.S.

Federal authorities have warned that sextortion schemes are a "growing threat preying upon our nation’s teens." From October 2021 to March 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations received more than 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors.

According to the FBI, these schemes involved at least 12,600 victims, who were primarily boys, and resulted in at least 20 suicides.

If you or someone you know is or could be a victim of online sexual violence, including sextortion, organizations like the National Sexual Violence Resource Center are here to help survivors and their loved ones. Visit NSVRC.org for help and support.

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.

By Thao Nguyen, USA Today 

Related story: How sextortion scammers in Nigeria targeted my son

Nigeria’s Bid to End Fuel Subsidy Comes at Good Time for Dangote

With petrol scarce and his fuel tank on red, taxi driver Victor Ovundah queued overnight at a gas station in Port Harcourt, Nigeria and by morning was getting close to filling up when sales suddenly stopped.

A man started going from pump to pump, tapping on each console. The digital dashboard flashed: 897 naira ($0.56) per litre. The 34,000 naira needed to fill up his Toyota Corolla moments before was now 50,000 naira. A 45% increase in the blink of an eye.

“Our WhatsApp group for Bolt drivers was blowing up with complaints, it seemed the price change was well planned,” he said. “How are we supposed to make a profit with this new fuel price?”

Public frustration is just one consequence for Nigeria as it once again tries to end a costly addiction to fuel subsidies.

The move could fan inflation and risks re-igniting cost-of-living protests. But it may wean the country off a reliance on imported gasoline, which cost it around $10 billion in 2022, just as the local refinery of billionaire Aliko Dangote starts to deliver a home-grown product.


It also gives the West African nation a chance for a do-over in efforts to end the years-long practice of providing cheap fuel.

Can Nigerians Bear Pain of Economic Shock Therapy?: QuickTake

President Bola Tinubu declared subsidies were finished after taking office in May 2023. That decision and other reforms were cheered by observers, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. But they jolted inflation to a 28-year high and Tinubu quietly backtracked on fuel to dampen popular protest.

The cost of reintroducing the subsidy was left with the state-owned oil company NNPC Ltd. It’s financial statements show the decision pushed it into heavy debts owed to gasoline importers, who local media reports said have since halted supplies until they get paid.

NNPC declined to comment on whether it was raising gasoline prices, but it acknowledged reports regarding the company’s significant debt to petrol suppliers.

“This financial strain has placed considerable pressure on the company and poses a threat to the sustainability of fuel supply,” it said in a Sept. 1 statement posted on X.

Its 2023 financial statements show fuel subsidies cost the NNPC 3.3 trillion naira between January and May, and 1.8 trillion naira from August, when the grant was reintroduced, to December. It’s also owed 7.8 trillion naira for the seven months to July this year, according to Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya.

Those amounts will come out of what it would otherwise pay to the government.

In addition to a fiscal impact, gasoline shortages have led to miles-long queues at gas stations in cities including Abuja and Lagos, the commercial hub, as drivers wait for hours to fill up.

With this week’s price rise, gasoline is closer to a market level, a move welcomed by industry experts because it highlights the harm done by subsidies.

“At least now we know who is bleeding and how it is impacting negatively on the downstream petroleum supply sector,” said Billy Harry, head of an association of fuel station owners.


The price increase could also complicate the central bank’s task as it fights inflation and tries to stabilize the naira. But it creates an opportunity for Dangote, whose massive 650,000 barrel-a-day plant near Lagos is beginning to produce gasoline.

“This will eliminate all fuel queues in Nigeria,” Dangote told Arise News in a Sept. 3 interview. “This will also make sure that there is consistent supply to the market.”

His refinery, which took a decade to bring online, could transform the country’s dependence on gasoline imports, which are paid for in dollars, stoking inflation and draining reserves.

Nigeria’s downstream regulator said in a statement on Tuesday that a deal had been reached to sell crude to the Dangote refinery in naria, easing both the gasoline shortage and pressure on the currency, which has lost around 70% of its value against the dollar since last year.

“The refinery is now poised to supply an initial 25 million litres of gasoline into the domestic market this September and will subsequently increase this amount to 30 million litres daily from October 2024,” the regulator said in a statement on X.

Dangote offers a good opportunity to finally sell gasoline at market prices in Nigeria, said Harry, of the retailers’ association.

“We have seen with the scarcity that people are buying products at black-market prices that sell for much higher. The only way to go is by allowing gasoline to sell at the prevailing market price,” he said.

That sounds good on paper but there are real-world risks of ending fuel subsidies.

Public fury over the high cost of living fanned protests that brought parts of the country to a standstill in early August and led to the death of at least 21 people.

One of the key demands of protesters was for the pump price to fall back to pre-May 2023 levels of 250 naira per liter. They’re preparing for more demonstrations in October, when the nation celebrates independence, but may return to the streets sooner.

Labor unions could also balk at higher pump prices. They agreed to a new minimum monthly wage of 70,000 naira in August after a government promise that petrol prices wouldn’t rise.

“We are filled with a deep sense of betrayal as the federal government clandestinely increases the pump price of gasoline,” Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, said in a statement demanding the increase be reversed.

By Nduka Orjinmo, Bloomberg 

Related story: Nigeria to Allow Aliko Dangote’s Refinery to Set Gasoline Prices

Nigeria Ranks Lowest On Maritime Tourism Index

The International Ocean Institute (IOI) has said Nigeria is ranked among the lowest maritime nations on marine tourism index despite possessing over 850km coastline.

The director of IOI Nigeria, Akanbi Williams, stated this while speaking at the 4th edition of Maritime Writes Project (MWP) bootcamp with the theme: “Protecting Heritages in the Blue Economy,” held in Lagos.

He, said that that Nigeria ranks among the bottom three countries on marine tourism index

However, he encouraged MWP 2024 participants to write stories around maritime tourism and deep sea exploration to correct the anomaly.

“At IOI, we have developed a curriculum for ocean literacy to address the problem of sea blindness. Coastal areas and organisms need to be studied as well as the deep sea.

“It is unfortunate that Nigeria isn’t exploiting its potentials in tourism. The nation has some problems which affect its ability to fully explore marine tourism. These include; maritime security and cultural attitudes. If an environment isn’t secured, if it’s not clean and habitable; there will be no attraction for tourists,” he said.

He expressed optimism that with the creation of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry in Nigeria, maritime tourism will be a huge component and the ministry will help in the development of this aspect in conjunction with the security agencies.

According to him, If Nigerians know about the maritime sector in elementary and primary schools, that will better position the nation to harness the multiple opportunities in the sector.

“Most of the 2024 participants are young minds and they have an opportunity to get the correct information about maritime could help them decide to have a future in the industry,” he added.

Also speaking, the President of African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFISHNET) Nigerian chapter, Funmi Shelika, described MWP 2024 as a laudable event that opens the minds of participants to understand the diverse aspects of the blue economy.

“Participants have learnt so much to help them conceptualise stories that will further promote awareness of the blue economy.

The historical stories of the maritime industry and how it affects our daily activities have been explained by experts in this bootcamp,” she said.

Shelika asserted that there is a future in fish processing, adding that, “It isn’t just a smelling-woman selling fish at the market. The business is more than catching the fish, smoking and selling it. There are other aspects of the trade for participants to explore.”

She equally lamented a decline in fishes across several Nigerian riverine communities resulting from pollution and overfishing. Therefore, she encouraged the Nigerian government to do better to support artisanal fishers and grow small-scale fishing.

“Nigeria isn’t enacting policies and laws for people in coastal communities to enjoy the aquatic assets in their communities. There should be an agreement between the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the communities to preserve the aquatic life and the marine environment,” she argued.

By Yusuf Babalola, Leadership

Nigeria to Allow Aliko Dangote’s Refinery to Set Gasoline Prices

Nigeria is considering allowing billionaire Aliko Dangote’s refinery to set the price of the gasoline it sells, people with knowledge of the matter said, a move that’s poised to refashion the government’s control over what customers pay for fuel.

Until now, Africa’s largest oil producer has imported all of its gasoline and subsidized the price at a hefty annual cost. But in a major change, Dangote’s massive plant near the commercial hub Lagos is starting to locally refine gasoline.


Nigeria will allow Dangote to set the price of gasoline to petroleum marketers starting next month, according to officials with knowledge of the matter. They asked not to be identified as they’re not authorized to speak to the media.

State-owned oil company NNPC Ltd. — the sole importer of gasoline — has since August 2023 been reselling the product below market cost to temper prices, after a brief removal of the subsidy pushed up inflation and fanned public protests. This week it lifted the price by 45%, to 897 naira ($0.56) per liter, moving it closer to market prices.

The government said Dangote will be free to set its own price.

“Dangote Refinery will certainly not sell their products below market value as a business that was set up to make profit,” said government spokesman Temitope Ajayi. “I don’t see how NNPC or the federal government will control price for a private business,” he said.

The role of the petroleum industry regulator “will be to ensure products quality and fair pricing so that the business doesn’t take undue advantage of the citizens or rip them off,” Ajayi said.

The changes occur amid severe gasoline shortages in major Nigerian cities after debts incurred by NNPC, in part due to the subsidy, disrupted its ability to supply gasoline. It said it is owed 7.8 trillion naira ($4.9 billion) by the government in subsidy debts for the seven months to July.

Going forward, petrol marketers will be allowed to buy products directly from the Dangote Refinery, the people said. A spokesperson from Dangote Industries didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The facility at full rates is expected to be able to produce about 330,000 barrels a day of gasoline, according to Randy Hurburun, senior refinery analyst at consultancy Energy Aspects Ltd. That’s more than 1% of global demand for the road fuel, which is about 27 million barrels a day. It’s more than enough to meet the UK’s entire requirement.

By Ruth Olurounbi, Bloomberg

Related story: Dangote Refinery begins petrol production, vows to ease Nigeria’s fuel crisis

Gridlock in Nigeria amid fuel shortages and price hikes

Nigerians have been hit by a double whammy of chronic fuel shortages and a hike in prices by the state-owned oil company.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which imports the country’s fuel and distributes it to private sellers, blamed its debts and rising global prices for its difficulty in getting fuel.

Many people have been left stranded with long queues at petrol stations nationwide. Commuters in Lagos have been lining up at bus stations, but there very few buses operating.

Others told the BBC they have been forced to trek long distances as public transport prices have doubled along some routes.

On Tuesday, the NNPC said it was putting up the petrol price from 617 naira ($0.40, £0.30) to 897 naira a litre.

Its petrol stations have the cheapest fuel on sale in the country - but at the vast majority of other private garages the pump price is much higher.

When the NNPC puts up the price, so do private sellers and in some states, like Oyo, Kano and Kaduna, petrol is now selling for as much as 1,200 naira a litre.

Many garages around the country have shut because they have run out of fuel, others have closed to adjust their prices.

In the capital, Abuja, most are open but all have long queues as desperate drivers wait their turn - some slept in their cars overnight.

Fuel stations are not rationing supply, so there is a danger their wait will be futile.

A motorcycle rider in Kano, the main trading hub of northern Nigeria, said it was frustrating: “Most of the fuel stations here in Kano are closed because they want to adjust their pumps to the new price.

“I was able to get fuel at 950 naira at a particular station, but other places have already started selling at 1,200 per litre,” Aminu Danyaro told the BBC.

Black-market traders, who buy fuel from petrol stations and sell it by the roadside from jerrycans at inflated prices, are doing a brisk trade in Kano, where there is significantly less traffic than usual.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) - the country’s main trade union body - says it feels “betrayed”, explaining that the reason it accepted the new minimum monthly wage of 70,000 naira ($44, £34) in July was because there was an agreement with the government that petrol price would not be increased.

When President Bola Tinubu came to power last year, he shocked Nigerians on his first day by removing a subsidy that kept the price of fuel low.

This - amongst other policies - has led to the worst economic crisis in a generation and cost-of-living protests, dubbed “10 days of rage”, were held countrywide last month.

Nigerians are now pinning their hopes on the new privately owned Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has been built by one of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.

On Monday, it was announced with great fanfare that the refinery had just started producing petrol - a milestone in Nigeria which despite being Africa’s largest producer of crude oil imports all its refined fuel.

But it is not clear how long Nigerians will have to wait to see ready availability of petrol or a drop in prices.

By Yūsuf Akínpẹ̀lú, BBC