NITDA warns Nigerians over rising sextortion threats, AI-generated explicit images

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has issued a warning to Nigerians about the growing threat of sextortion, a form of online blackmail. This scheme involves blackmailers threatening to release explicit images or videos unless the victim meets their demands. NITDA highlighted this issue during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, through its Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT).

Sextortion can affect anyone from children to adults, often starting on social media platforms, messaging apps, dating sites, or online games. The agency also warned that criminals could leverage artificial intelligence to generate realistic fake explicit images without possessing the victim's actual intimate images. NITDA explained that sextortion is an online blackmail method where a perpetrator threatens to expose a person's intimate images or videos unless the victim pays money, sends more explicit content, or complies with other demands.

Even if a perpetrator obtains or creates an intimate image, complying with demands might not stop the threats. Instead, the perpetrator may continue to demand more money or explicit material, leading to emotional distress, damage to reputation, and financial loss. Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to this threat, as fear and shame may prevent them from reporting the abuse to a trusted adult, allowing the abuse to persist.

NITDA recommended that Nigerians avoid sending intimate images or videos online, even to known or trusted individuals, as it is difficult to verify the identity behind online accounts. The agency advised victims not to comply with any demands, as doing so could result in further demands. NITDA's warning comes amid ongoing cases of sextortion involving Nigerians, coupled with the increasing capability of AI to create convincing fake explicit content.

In August 2026, it was reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had helped extradite two Nigerians to the United States for alleged child exploitation and financially motivated sextortion. This followed a previous FBI operation in 2025, in which 22 Nigerian suspects were arrested in connection with sextortion schemes targeting individuals in the United States.

According to Nairametrics, the FBI estimated losses from sextortion crimes linked to Nigerian nationals to be nearly $65 million over two years, with over 54,000 victims reported in 2024, an increase from 34,000 in 2023. This surge in activity has prompted action from social media platforms. In July 2024, Meta removed approximately 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria suspected of engaging in financial sextortion scams.

Recently, the application of AI has introduced a new dimension to this threat. INTERPOL's African Cyberthreat Assessment, published in August 2026, found that artificial intelligence was involved in 55% of reported cybercrimes across Africa, including sextortion and the creation of deepfake content. The assessment also recorded about 600,000 sextortion detections by TrendAI.