Alleged Nigerian visa fraudster, thief caught at our Houston office: USCIS

“Working with our federal partners, USCIS helped apprehend a Nigerian alien charged with visa fraud and theft of more than $300,000 when he came to our Houston office,” it said.

Ahmed Oluwasanjo • September 22, 2026

Image used to tell the story [Credit: Todd Heisler / The New York Times]

An alleged Nigerian thief and visa fraudster has walked straight into a Houston arrest.

On Monday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the yet-to-be-named Nigerian was facing charges of visa fraud and theft of over $300,000 when apprehended.

“Working with our federal partners, USCIS helped apprehend a Nigerian alien charged with visa fraud and theft of more than $300,000 when he came to our Houston office,” USCIS said. “This collaboration ensures that those who abuse our immigration laws and commit financial crimes are held accountable. Protecting our nation and enforcing the law are our priorities.”

Recently, two Nigerian nationals, Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, were charged with accepting bribes to manipulate and expedite immigration applications.

Mr Ganiyu, a former senior immigration services officer with USCIS, and Mr Somoye were arrested for their roles in an alleged multi‑year fraudulent scheme to receive kickbacks in exchange for manipulating and expediting immigration applications.

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