Nigerian man charged with sextortion of B.C. teenager before 2023 death

Nearly one year after the death of a teenage sextortion victim from B.C.'s Lower Mainland, authorities have announced charges against a suspect in Nigeria.

Surrey RCMP said the victim – a youth hockey player – was tricked into sending explicit images to someone posing as a teenage girl online.

"That offender then blackmailed the youth with threats to share the images with his family and friends unless he complied with demands of purchasing gift cards to send to the offender," Sgt. Tammy Lobb said at a news conference Tuesday.

The entire interaction "lasted only minutes," Lobb said. Investigators were later called to investigate the youth's sudden death.

Local newspapers identified the victim as Robin Janjua, a 14-year-old student-athlete with the Delta Hockey Academy. While Surrey RCMP did not name the deceased on Monday, citing privacy reasons, they presented a framed photo of the victim during their news conference.

"His name is already out there in the media and it has been publicized in previous reports," Lobb said. "I can confirm this is our victim who we're talking about today."

Family shares message

The RCMP also shared a statement from the victim's family urging parents to keep their children safe by discussing internet safety and leaving "the door to communication open, so they can come to you for help."

"It has been almost one year since we lost our son," the family wrote. "Not a day goes by that we don't miss him. He was an innocent child who was taken advantage of due to his innocence."

The RCMP said the suspect was identified in an international investigation that had assistance from the FBI, the Australian Federal Police, and Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crime Commission.

In July 2023, members of the Surrey RCMP's Serious Crime Unit travelled to Lagos – Nigeria's largest city – to help with the arrest of two suspects, one of whom was later released without charges.

The other suspect, 26-year-old Adedayo Olukeye, is awaiting trial on counts of possession and distribution of child pornography, attempted extortion by threats, money laundering and retention of proceeds of a non-lawful act.

Nigeria's EFCC posted about Olukeye's arrest on social media back in September, indicating he had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The EFCC also quoted a prosecutor as suggesting the "international image of Nigeria is in jeopardy" because of the disturbing case, as part of a request for an expedited hearing.

'A borderless crime'

Sgt. Dave Knight, of the Surrey RCMP's Special Victims Unit, said the detachment has received 512 reports of sexual extortion over the last two years, including 302 in 2023 alone. The victims ranged in age from 10 to 71, and the majority were male.

"It is important to note that these are reported incidents, and we don't know the total number of sextortions that go unreported," Knight added. "Therefore, we urge youth and parents to come forward."

Addressing young people who are targeted in the crimes, Knight stressed that victims will not be blamed for their predicament if they report the extortion to law enforcement.

"You are not alone, and there is life after images," he said.

The RCMP also urged parents to learn about online sextortion – which can be done on the Cybertip website – so they can protect their own families.

"Online child sexual extortion is a borderless crime," Knight said. "These offenders have direct access to our children by targeting them through their phones, mobile devices, computers and gaming consoles."