{
  "id": 8071066,
  "title": "Nigerian national faces US charges over alleged illegal voting in two elections",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/nigerian-national-faces-us-charges-over-alleged-illegal-voting-in-two",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T16:59:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ripples Nigeria",
    "slug": "ripples-nigeria",
    "url": "https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/nigerian-national-faces-us-charges-over-alleged-illegal-voting-in-two-elections/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gladys Adaeze Okafor, a 56-year-old Nigerian national residing in Lynn, Massachusetts, has been arrested and charged by U.S. authorities for allegedly voting illegally in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary election. She is accused of voting despite not being a U.S. citizen, which is punishable by up to one year in prison, supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. Okafor, born in Aba, Nigeria, obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but has not become a U.S. citizen or applied for citizenship. Prosecutors allege that she submitted a voter registration card in July 2022, falsely certifying that she was a U.S. citizen and was subsequently registered to vote in the city of Lynn. She is also accused of submitting another voter registration form in October 2023, again claiming to be a U.S. citizen and voting in the 2024 presidential primary election.",
  "summary": "A 56-year-old Nigerian national living in Lynn, Massachusetts, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested by United States authorities over allegations that she unlawfully voted in American elections despite not being a US citizen. Okafor is accused of casting a ballot in the 2022 midterm elections and later participating in the 2024 presidential primary election. The […] The post Nigerian national…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}