30 Nigerians on U.S. deportation list linked to N86.8bn fraud cases

At least 30 Nigerians featured on the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “Worst of the Worst” deportation portal have been linked to fraud schemes involving more than N86.8 billion ($62 million) in confirmed losses, restitution orders, and intended losses.

An analysis of U.S. court records obtained from the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system showed that the individuals were among 124 Nigerians currently listed on the DHS deportation database, a public registry of foreign nationals marked for removal from the United States.

Financial crimes accounted for 77 of the 124 Nigerian entries, representing about 62 percent of the total. However, court records were unavailable for 47 of the listed individuals.

The largest fraud case involved Richard Ugbah, who was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in November 2017 for operating a romance scam and business email compromise (BEC) scheme. The court found that the operation caused intended losses of at least $12.9 million, noting that the actual figure could be higher.

In 2023, Ugbah approached the ECOWAS Court of Justice seeking permission to complete his prison term in Nigeria, but the court dismissed the application for lack of jurisdiction.

Another high-profile case involved Obinwanne Okeke, who is serving a 10-year sentence for his role in an $11 million business email compromise scheme.

Alex Ogunshakin, extradited from Nigeria after spending more than three years on the FBI Cyber Most Wanted list, was sentenced in October 2024. Prosecutors documented over $6 million in confirmed losses and more than $30 million in attempted fraud linked to his activities.

Combined, the cases involving Ugbah, Okeke, and Ogunshakin account for nearly half of the total fraud value identified in the review.

Wire fraud emerged as the most common offence among the listed Nigerians, appearing in 27 charge entries. Other offences included various fraud-related crimes (33 entries), money laundering (18), identity theft (13), forgery and counterfeiting (8), and mail fraud (7).

Investigators noted that wire fraud and money laundering frequently appeared together, reflecting the structure of organised financial crime networks that use layered transactions to conceal illicit proceeds.

Among other convictions, Uche Diuno was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment in May 2024 after describing himself as the “chairman” of an advance-fee fraud syndicate that targeted victims in more than 20 countries over four years. Authorities attributed losses of approximately $5.7 million to the scheme.

Oludayo Adeagbo received a seven-year prison sentence for a business email compromise operation that generated losses exceeding $5 million.

Olaniyi Ojikutu was sentenced to 88 months imprisonment for laundering about $3.4 million in romance scam proceeds through nearly 25 bank accounts. He fled to Canada after being indicted but was arrested seven months later and extradited to the United States.

Other notable convictions include Chibundu Anuebunwa, sentenced to 66 months for a $2.5 million BEC scheme; Benjamin Ifebajo, who received 10 years for a $2.1 million email fraud operation; and Sakiru Ambali, sentenced to 42 months after more than $2.4 million passed through his accounts.

Yusuf Bakare and Quazeem Adeyinka were convicted in a COVID-19 unemployment insurance fraud conspiracy that generated $2.27 million. Bakare was sentenced to four years and nine months, while Adeyinka received a 26-month prison term.

Oluwole Odunowo was sentenced to 54 months imprisonment for his role in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fraud scheme that caused total losses of $11.6 million. He was ordered to pay $402,846 in restitution.

Former collegiate athlete Toluwani Adebakin was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment in April 2024 after being convicted of laundering proceeds from romance, military impersonation and other scams. Investigators said more than 100 victims transferred over $820,000, which was subsequently routed to fraudsters in Nigeria.

Bameyi Omale is serving a 135-month sentence for participating in a romance and investment fraud laundering network in Texas, while Okechukwu Amadi received an 11-year, three-month sentence in connection with the Black Axe criminal organisation. Amadi was ordered to forfeit $833,625 and pay $1.35 million in restitution.

Isaiah Okere, also linked to Black Axe, was convicted in a business email compromise and romance fraud case involving losses exceeding $1 million and is awaiting sentencing.

Meanwhile, Oriyomi Aloba was sentenced to 145 months imprisonment after hacking into the Los Angeles Superior Court’s computer system and distributing approximately two million phishing emails. The court ordered him to pay $47,479 in restitution.

Rising Number Of Nigerians On Deportation List

The DHS launched the “Worst of the Worst” portal on December 8, 2025. Nigeria initially recorded 79 entries in February 2026, a figure that later rose to 97, then 113, and has now reached 124.

Separate findings indicate that an additional 110 Nigerians were recently added to the U.S. removal queue under a DHS West Africa enforcement operation involving 355 individuals. Nigeria recorded the highest number of cases, followed by Liberia (94), Ghana (30), and Senegal (19).

The 124 Nigerians on the portal were arrested across at least 26 states and Washington, D.C. Texas recorded the highest number of arrests with 29, followed by Maryland (14), Pennsylvania (8), California (8), Georgia (8), Louisiana (7), Illinois (6), and Florida (5).

Several of those listed were processed for deportation while already serving federal prison sentences. Oakdale Federal Correctional Institution in Louisiana accounted for eight arrest entries, while Yazoo City Federal Correctional Institution represented the majority of cases recorded in Mississippi.

Violent Crimes, Sexual Offences And Drug Cases

Beyond financial crimes, 28 Nigerians on the list were linked to violent offences, including aggravated assault, robbery and kidnapping.

Olayinka A. Jones, arrested in South Carolina, was the only individual listed for a manslaughter-related offence.

Three Nigerians — Donald Ehie, Adeyinka Ademokunla and Ifeanyi Okoro — were listed for kidnapping-related offences. Okoro’s record also included robbery and sexual assault charges.

Ibrahim Ijaoba, detained in Colorado, was listed for escape from custody, armed robbery and assault. DHS records also noted an alleged affiliation with the Bloods gang.

Fifteen individuals were linked to sexual offences, including five cases involving alleged crimes against minors. One of them, Abayomi Daramola, was listed for allegedly enticing a minor through telecommunications.

Cletus Onyali faced multiple charges, including rape, assault, child-related sex offences and child cruelty.

Nine Nigerians were listed for drug-related crimes. These included heroin trafficking, heroin distribution, cocaine smuggling and customs violations.

In February 2026, CNN reported that DHS acknowledged a technical error affecting about five percent of the portal’s entries, resulting in some individuals being incorrectly categorised as violent offenders despite having minor offences on record.

Among the examples cited were Adetunji Olofinlade, whose listing involved only a driving-under-the-influence offence, and Olamide Jolayemi, whose record included computer-related offences and a DUI charge.

Nigeria’s Position

Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has maintained that while the country is willing to receive its citizens who violate foreign laws, such deportations must be conducted in a humane and dignified manner.

Tuggar also rejected proposals that would require Nigeria to accept deportees from third countries, noting that the nation already faces significant domestic challenges associated with its population of more than 230 million people.

In May 2026, the United States signed a third-country deportation agreement with Sierra Leone, reportedly providing $1.5 million for the country to accept up to 300 West African deportees annually. Some Nigerians have already been removed under the arrangement.