Jennifer Buta : “Son’s Suicide: Blackmailed by Nigerian Scammers”

A highly detrimental scam scheme, known as s*xtortion, is disproportionately affecting teenagers worldwide, leading to devastating outcomes.

Reports from the United States have linked this scam to over 27 suicides, highlighting the severity of the issue.

Scammers, many of whom are reportedly based in Nigeria, lure victims into sharing explicit content, only to then blackmail them, as reported by the BBC.

Jennifer Buta, a grieving mother, shared the heartbreaking story of her son Jordan, 17, who fell victim to this scam, ultimately leading to his tragic suicide two years ago. To this day, Jordan’s bedroom remains untouched, serving as a poignant memorial with his basketball jerseys, clothes, posters, and bedsheets still in place, a constant reminder of the pain of his loss.

“It still smells like him. That’s one of the reasons I still have the door closed. I can still smell that sweat, dirt, cologne mix in this room. I’m just not ready to part with his stuff,” she expressed.

Jordan, a vibrant 17-year-old, was deceived by s*xtortion scammers on Instagram, posing as a teenage girl to engage in flirtatious messages and exchange explicit images. Manipulated into sharing intimate photos, Jordan found himself in a desperate situation when the scammers demanded money to prevent the dissemination of the images to his peers. Fearing for his reputation, Jordan complied, sending money and pleading with the scammers to stop, even resorting to threats of suicide if they persisted.

Heartbreakingly, the criminals callously responded, “Good… Do that fast – or I’ll make you do it.”

Tragically, Jordan took his own life just six hours after the scam commenced. In the aftermath, his mother, Jenn, has become a prominent advocate against s*xtortion, using the TikTok account that Jordan created for her to raise awareness and caution others.

Her videos have garnered over a million likes. The perpetrators, identified as Nigerian siblings Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, have been apprehended, extradited to the US, and now face sentencing for child s*xploitation charges.

Jordan’s harrowing narrative has become a rallying cry in the battle against s*xtortion.

Jennifer Buta’s Plea for Awareness and Prevention

In a poignant document dated May 2023 on the US Department of Justice website, Jennifer Buta shared, “The last year without Jordan has seemed to pass by so quickly and yet it was the longest 13 months of our lives. Our hearts will forever be broken with a huge part of our lives missing.

“Jordan was a son, a brother, a grandson, a friend, a student, a co-worker and a role model. He was the perfect mix of fun-loving and hard-working. He played hard, he loved hard, and he never held back. If you caught Jordan on a summer day, he’d likely be cruising in his car with the music up, taking in as much sun as he could at the beach and dancing without a care in the world.

“Jordan’s smile could light up any room. Jordan’s charm and beautiful smile were contagious, drawing people to him wherever he went and leaving a lasting impression on everyone he met. He wanted to connect and be everyone’s friend and he did just that.

“As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what Jordan went through that night and how scared he was because of this senseless act. When we were informed that Jordan was potentially a victim of an internet scam called s*xtortion via Instagram, there was never a hesitation in our minds to share his story. We wanted everyone to be aware about s*xtortion and have those tough conversations with their families so if it did happen to them they knew to talk to someone.

“Immediately, many families reached out to support us as their family went through this. We received countless messages from families afterwards that their child was being pursued online, and because we shared Jordan’s story, those children went to their parents for help.

“We want to thank our family, our friends, our community and the many people near and far who have been there for us throughout this unimaginable time. We are humbled by the overwhelming support you have given to our families. We have so much love for all of you.

“We are here today because of the outstanding efforts by multiple agencies that worked together on Jordan’s case over the last year.”

“Our focus going forward is to bring more awareness to children, young adults and parents. Our family has forever been changed by this heinous crime and our objective is to prevent another individual from being victimized.

“Kids, teenagers, young adults and even adults can be a target of s*xtortion. We urge you to have discussions about this and have a plan for your children to reach out if it does happen to them. Jordan will never be forgotten. He will forever be in our hearts and will drive us forward to share his story and help others,” she concluded.

Rising Cases of S*xtortion and its Global Impact

S*xtortion, a sensitive and underreported crime, has witnessed a troubling surge in cases, with US statistics showing a staggering increase of over 100% last year, reaching 26,700 incidents.

Regrettably, at least 27 young males have tragically taken their own lives in the past two years due to s*xtortion.

Research and law enforcement agencies have pinpointed West Africa, particularly Nigeria, as a central location for s*xtortion operators.

Recent arrests and trials in Nigeria have connected suspects to s*xtortion cases in Australia, the US, and Canada, resulting in fatal outcomes.

In January, the NCRI uncovered a network of Nigerian social media accounts disseminating s*xtortion tips and scripts, often in the Nigerian Pidgin dialect. Sadly, cybercrime has become normalized among some young Nigerians, who view it as a means of livelihood in the midst of poverty and unemployment, according to Dr. Tombari Sibe of Digital Footprints Nigeria.

Dr. Sibe highlighted that many youths engage in cyber-fraud without fully comprehending the repercussions, as they witness their peers reaping benefits from such activities.

The term “Yahoo Boys” has emerged to describe this subset of young Nigerians involved in cybercrime, a trend that traces back to the early 2000s Nigerian Prince email scams.