Three Nigerians Face US Charges Over Voting, Citizenship Claims
Three Nigerian nationals are among 16 people facing federal charges in the United States over alleged illegal voting, false claims of citizenship and related election offences.
The US Department of Justice identified the Nigerians as Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, Helen Sayen Adams, 67, and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, 27. All three are lawful permanent residents, but prosecutors allege that their cases involved conduct connected to voting or representations of citizenship.
Okafor, a Massachusetts resident, was arrested over allegations that she registered to vote and cast ballots in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary despite not being a US citizen. Prosecutors also allege that she declared herself a citizen on voter registration documents.
In Texas, Adams is accused of claiming US citizenship when registering to vote in June 2024 before voting in the November general election. Akpom faces a different charge involving his 2026 naturalisation application, where prosecutors allege that he denied previously claiming US citizenship, registering to vote or voting, despite alleged voting activity in 2017 and 2018.
The wider federal operation covers 16 defendants across several states and includes allegations ranging from unlawful voting and voter registration to naturalisation, passport and wire fraud. The cases highlight the legal distinction between permanent residency and citizenship in the US, particularly the restrictions on non-citizens participating in federal elections.
The Justice Department stressed that the charges are allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
