US charges three Nigerians, 13 others over election crimes

The United States Department of Justice has announced charges against three Nigerians and 13 other foreign nationals over alleged illegal voting, false claims of US citizenship and related election offences.

The Nigerians were identified as Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, Helen Sayen Adams, 67, and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, 27.

The DOJ announced the charges on Friday as part of cases against 16 individuals across the US involving alleged illegal voting, unlawful voter registration and other offences linked to elections.

PUNCH Online had reported that Okafor, a Nigerian national and lawful permanent resident living in Massachusetts, was previously arrested and charged with allegedly voting in the 2022 midterm election and the 2024 presidential primary.

According to the DOJ, she was not a US citizen when she allegedly registered and voted.

The department said Adams, 67, also a Nigerian citizen and lawful permanent resident, was charged in the Northern District of Texas “with Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election and False Statement of Citizenship in Order to Register to Vote.”

Prosecutors allege that Adams falsely claimed to be a US citizen when she registered to vote in Texas in June 2024 and subsequently voted in the November 2024 general election.

Akpom, a Nigerian citizen and lawful permanent resident since 2016, faces a different charge.

The DOJ said he was charged with making false statements in relation to naturalisation.

Prosecutors allege that he falsely denied on a 2026 naturalisation application that he had previously claimed US citizenship, registered to vote or voted, despite allegedly registering in 2017 and voting in the 2018 general election.

• Trump lists 25 achievements of first 20 months in office
• Denmark backs Trump deal on ‘permanent control’ of Greenland security
• Trump claims deal for permanent US security control over Greenland

“Due to the five‑year statute of limitations, prosecutors relied on the naturalisation offence rather than the voting conduct,” an earlier statement said.

The department said the three Nigerians were among cases brought against 16 individuals in different federal districts.

The other defendants include nationals of Mexico, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Antigua and Barbuda, Venezuela, Colombia and Russia.

The cases include allegations of voting while ineligible, false claims of US citizenship to register or vote, wire fraud, naturalisation fraud, passport fraud and an unlawful firearm purchase uncovered during one investigation.

In Massachusetts, the DOJ said Okafor had obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but was not a US citizen and had not applied for US citizenship when she allegedly registered and voted.

The department said she allegedly signed a voter registration certification stating that she was a US citizen.

In Texas, prosecutors allege that Adams, who became a lawful permanent resident in May 2024, falsely claimed US citizenship on a voter registration application before allegedly voting in the November 2024 election.

The DOJ also said Akpom’s alleged 2018 voting conduct was outside the applicable statute of limitations for the voting offence, leading prosecutors to charge him over the alleged false statements made during his naturalisation process.

The department stated that complaints, indictments and other charging documents contain allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.