David Hundeyin Claims FBI Presence in Nigeria Is Political, Sparks Debate
Pecohub Investigative journalist David Hundeyin has sparked debate after claiming that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is operating in Nigeria for political reasons rather than to combat cybercrime.
In a post on X, Hundeyin argued that Nigeria is not among the world’s leading countries for sophisticated cybercrime and dismissed the activities of many Nigerian online fraudsters, popularly referred to as “Yahoo boys,” as ordinary theft rather than genuine cybercrime.
“The FBI is in Nigeria for purely political reasons,” Hundeyin wrote, adding that the agency’s presence had “nothing to do with cybercrime.”
He compared Nigerian online scams, including gift-card fraud, with more sophisticated cyberattacks involving ransomware, attacks on critical infrastructure and large-scale financial breaches.
Hundeyin argued that cybercrime should be distinguished from conventional fraud committed through digital platforms.
The post quickly generated reactions online, particularly over the definition of cybercrime.
Cybercrime is generally understood as a broad category that includes offences in which computers, digital networks or online platforms are used to commit or facilitate crimes. The category can include hacking and ransomware attacks as well as phishing, business email compromise, online fraud, romance scams and financially motivated sextortion.
The FBI has previously described business email compromise as “cyber-enabled financial fraud” and has linked Nigerian-based criminal networks to major international fraud schemes targeting businesses and individuals.
Recent U.S. Justice Department announcements also show that the FBI continues to work with Nigerian authorities on investigations involving Nigerian suspects.
On August 28, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the extradition of Adebola Festus Adekunle from Nigeria to face charges relating to an alleged financially motivated sextortion scheme connected to the death of a Mississippi teenager.
The Justice Department said Adekunle was arrested in Nigeria in 2023 as part of a wider FBI operation targeting alleged sexual extortionists who targeted minors in the United States.
In a separate case announced the same day, the Justice Department said another Nigerian, Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, was extradited to the United States to face charges linked to the alleged financial sextortion of minors.
The case was part of Operation Artemis, an FBI-led effort targeting financially motivated sextortion networks operating from Nigeria. U.S. authorities said the operation involved agents, analysts and forensic experts working with international partners to pursue suspects linked to the schemes.
