Federal authorities in the United States are investigating Nigerians and other immigrants who may have obtained Green Cards and U.S. citizenship through an alleged immigration fraud scheme involving a former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) official and an associate.
The investigation followed the arrest of former USCIS senior immigration services officer, Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, who are accused of participating in a multi-year scheme to improperly influence immigration applications.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrests on September 4, following their detention on September 2. A criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of Texas accuses the two men of conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official.
According to federal prosecutors, the alleged scheme operated from December 2019 until March 2026, during which Ganiyu allegedly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal payments, with investigators putting the suspected proceeds at about $1 million.
Prosecutors allege that the former USCIS official used his position to expedite and approve immigration applications that did not meet the required conditions.
The applications reportedly involved several categories, including Form I-130 for family sponsorship, Form I-485 for adjustment of status, Form I-751 for removal of conditions on residence and Form N-400 for naturalisation.
Investigators allege that mandatory background checks, supervisory reviews, interviews and other standard processing procedures were bypassed in some cases.
The investigation reportedly uncovered extensive communications between Ganiyu, Somoye and applicants whose immigration cases they allegedly handled. Authorities said the evidence included thousands of WhatsApp messages and hundreds of calls during the period under investigation.
The defendants also allegedly provided investigators with mobile phones containing communications and other information that could assist authorities in identifying people connected to the scheme.
Federal agencies have not publicly disclosed the number of immigrants potentially affected by the investigation, and there has been no official confirmation that all beneficiaries whose cases were handled by the former USCIS official obtained their immigration status unlawfully.
Authorities are expected to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether immigration benefits were improperly obtained and whether individual beneficiaries were aware of or participated in any alleged wrongdoing.
The investigation involves the USCIS Office of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office.
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said alleged manipulation of immigration decisions for personal gain undermined the integrity of a process considered important to national security.
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses their position of trust,” Rothrock said.
According to the complaint, Ganiyu left USCIS in March 2026, citing personal reasons, before federal authorities arrested him and Somoye in September.
If convicted, each defendant could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham of the Fraud Section.
The investigation comes amid heightened scrutiny of immigration applications and the integrity of the U.S. immigration system. Authorities have yet to announce any mass arrests of Nigerians who may have benefited from the alleged scheme, while the identities and circumstances of individual applicants remain subject to investigation.
Federal prosecutors have also stressed that a criminal complaint contains allegations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
