The US Department of Justice has announced charges against 16 foreign nationals, including three Nigerians, for alleged election-related offences. The defendants are accused of offences ranging from unlawful voter registration and voting by non-citizens to naturalisation, passport, and wire fraud. The three Nigerians are Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56; Helen Sayen Adams, 67; and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, 27.
Gladys Adaeze Okafor, a Nigerian citizen and lawful permanent resident in Massachusetts, was previously arrested for allegedly registering and voting in the 2022 midterm election and the 2024 presidential primary. According to the Justice Department, Okafor obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but was not a US citizen and had not applied for citizenship when she allegedly registered and voted. Prosecutors allege that she signed a voter registration certification declaring that she was a US citizen.
Helen Sayen Adams, 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 making a false statement of citizenship to register to vote. The DOJ alleges that Adams falsely stated that she was a US citizen when she registered to vote in Texas in June 2024 and subsequently voted in the November 2024 general election. Adams became a lawful permanent resident in May 2024.
Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom's case centres on alleged false statements made during his application for US citizenship. The 27-year-old Nigerian, who has held lawful permanent resident status since 2016, allegedly denied on a 2026 naturalisation application that he had previously claimed US citizenship, registered to vote, or voted. Prosecutors, however, allege that he registered to vote in 2017 and cast a ballot in the 2018 general election.
The Justice Department said the cases involve various allegations, including voting while ineligible, falsely claiming US citizenship to register or vote, wire fraud, naturalisation fraud, passport fraud, and an unlawful firearm purchase. The defendants are nationals of Mexico, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Antigua and Barbuda, Venezuela, Colombia, and Russia. The DOJ stressed that the charges are allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charges against the three Nigerians and other foreign nationals highlight the US Department of Justice's efforts to prevent election-related offences. The department is working to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and to prevent non-citizens from voting or falsely claiming citizenship. The cases are being prosecuted across different federal districts in the US.
In total, 16 foreign nationals face charges in the US for alleged election-related offences. The US Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute cases involving election-related offences to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
Key points
- The three Nigerians charged are Gladys Adaeze Okafor, Helen Sayen Adams, and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom.
- The charges include allegations of unlawful voter registration, voting by non-citizens, naturalisation fraud, and passport fraud.
- The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
