Nigerian woman arrested in US over alleged false citizenship claim

American authorities have detained a Nigerian woman, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, in the United States on charges of falsely claiming to be a citizen before casting her ballot in elections. Okafor resides in Lynn, Massachusetts. She faced arrest on Wednesday and now stands charged with unlawful voting as an alien, according to the US Department of Justice's statement published on September 16, 2026.

Born in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, Okafor obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022, but she remains an alien in the eyes of the US law. She allegedly registered to vote in July 2022 and signed a declaration affirming her US citizenship under the penalty of perjury. Subsequent registration and voting activities in Lynn followed her 2022 actions, including the 2024 presidential primary election.

Legal documents allege Okafor's second voter registration form, also indicating US citizenship, was submitted in October 2023. She is next set to appear before a federal court in Boston. Facing a potential one-year prison sentence, one year of supervised release, a $100,000 fine, and possible deportation post-sentence, Okafor's case is being handled by Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh from the Major Crimes Unit.