US charges three Nigerians, 13 others over election crimes

The United States Department of Justice has issued charges against three Nigerians and 13 other foreign nationals for alleged illegal voting, false claims of US citizenship, and related election offenses. The charges were announced on Friday as part of investigations into 16 individuals across the United States. Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, Helen Sayen Adams, 67, and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom were identified among those charged.

Okafor, a lawful permanent resident in Massachusetts, allegedly voted in the 2022 midterm election and the 2024 presidential primary, though she was not a US citizen at the time. Adams, also a lawful permanent resident in Texas, was charged with voting by an alien in a federal election and making a false statement of citizenship.

Akpom, a Nigerian citizen since 2016, faces charges for making false statements about his naturalization history. The DOJ noted that due to the five-year statute of limitations, the voting charges were prioritized over the voting conduct. The cases involve various allegations, including voting while ineligible, false claims of US citizenship, wire fraud, naturalization fraud, passport fraud, and an unlawful firearm purchase.