Nigerian judge convicts man of sextorting B.C. teen who died by suicide

Olukeye Adedayo is seen in an image shared by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

RCMP are hailing the conviction and sentencing of man in Nigeria who tried to blackmail a Surrey, B.C., teenager by posting his intimate images online, saying “sextortions and fraud” will not be tolerated by society.

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said Olukeye Adedayo was sentenced last week to prison terms totalling 76 years, after offences that the RCMP said resulted in the boy’s “sudden death” in February 2023.

Nigeria’s financial crimes agency said in social media posts that Adedayo faced 18 charges, including possession and distribution of child pornography, attempted extortion by threats, and money laundering.

It said Adedayo set up an Instagram group using the boy’s name to distribute the images, which the RCMP said the 14-year-old thought he had sent to a teenage girl in an online interaction that was over within minutes.

The RCMP said in a statement that Adedayo’s conviction came after an international effort.

“The conviction and sentencing ... is the result of an intense yearlong international investigation,” said the statement from the Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit.

“This outcome came from collaborative efforts from the Surrey RCMP, the FBI, the Australian Federal Police and the (Nigerian) Economic and Financial Crime Commission ... We believe this case delivers a strong message that sextortions and fraud will not be tolerated in our community.”

“We extend our thoughts to the family and friends of the young victim in this file. We hope that the conclusion of the court process provides them closure.”

The Mounties didn’t name the boy, but at a news conference last year said he had been correctly identified in media reports about a 14-year-old from Surrey who died by suicide. The boy’s photo was on display at the news conference.

The Nigerian agency said Adedayo pleaded not guilty to all counts but a judge convicted him of all charges and sentenced him last Thursday.

However, the agency said the 18 sentences are to run concurrently, suggesting the longest sentence he’ll serve is seven years for each of four counts of obtaining property under false pretences.

The commission said the prosecution witnesses included a sergeant with the RCMP Serious Crime Unit.

A charge quoted by the commission said that Adedayo created the Instagram group with the explicit images on or about Feb. 13, 2023. 

The boy’s hockey team posted a condolence message saying he died the next day.

Police provided a statement from the boy’s family last February, saying he was an “innocent child” who loved life and loved hockey, and he was taken advantage of.

“As we grieve the loss of our son, we want other parents to know this could happen to anyone,” the statement said.

“Talk to your kids about internet safety, and keep the door to communication open, so they can come to you for help.”

This report by Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press, was first published June 23, 2025.