5 Nigerians allegedly linked to Black Axe face up to 100 years in US prison over romance scams

• Five Nigerians face US fraud charges linked to alleged Black Axe activities.

• Prosecutors say victims were deceived through fake romantic relationships.

• The charges carry maximum penalties that could collectively reach 100 years.

Five Nigerian men allegedly linked to the Black Axe organised criminal network are facing federal fraud charges in the United States after being extradited from South Africa, with the charges carrying maximum prison terms that could collectively reach 100 years.

The United States Department of Justice identified the five as Perry Osagiede, 57; Franklyn Edosa Osagiede, 42; Osariemen Eric Clement, 40; Collins Owhofasa Otughwor, 42; and Musa Mudashiru, 38. All five were arrested in South Africa in 2021 at the request of US authorities and were extradited on September 11, 2026.

According to US prosecutors, the men were leaders in the Cape Town Zone of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as Black Axe. Prosecutors allege that Osagiede founded the Cape Town Zone and served as its zonal head.

The alleged operation ran from at least 2011 to 2021. Prosecutors say the defendants approached victims in the United States through social media, dating websites and internet-based telephone numbers. 

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They also said that the suspects used different aliases to create what appeared to be genuine romantic relationships before asking victims for money or valuable items.

Some of the stories involved a supposed romantic partner travelling to South Africa for work and later claiming to have encountered problems at a construction site or with a crane. When some victims hesitated to send more money, prosecutors said they were sometimes threatened with the release of sensitive photographs.

The scheme was not limited to romance scams. The DOJ said the defendants were also accused of advance-fee fraud and laundering money linked to business email compromise schemes through US bank accounts and business entities.

The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracy. Three of the men — Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Edosa Osagiede and Clement — also face individual wire-fraud charges, while Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede and Otughwor face aggravated identity-theft charges.

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There is also a discrepancy between the latest US and South African accounts. South Africa’s Hawks said six Nigerians were extradited, naming Prince Ibeabuchi Mark alongside the five defendants named by the DOJ. 

The US announcement, however, lists only the five men above in the superseding indictment. South African police have not publicly explained the difference.

South Africa’s Hawks said the six men extradited on September 11 targeted more than 100 US women, including pensioners and businesspeople, and allegedly defrauded them of more than R100 million.

US Attorney Robert Frazer said the extradition showed that those operating thousands of miles away could still face American justice, while FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy described Black Axe as a transnational criminal organisation involved in romance scams.

The DOJ stressed that the charges are allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. No public response from the five defendants or their lawyers was included in the latest US or South African law-enforcement statements.