The U.S. has listed 18 Nigerians for deportation from the country, in addition to 79 criminals previously listed, bringing the total number of those to be deported to 97.

The arrests were part of a coordinated crackdown across several U.S. states carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

The new convicts were added as part of an expanded nationwide enforcement operation targeting immigrants. This was announced on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website on Tuesday.

”The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is highlighting the worst of the worst criminal aliens arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

”Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, the men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations, starting with the worst of the worst,” the statement said.

The 18 Nigerians whose names feature on the latest list include Oluwaseyanu Afolabi, Olugbeminiyi Aderibigbe, Benjamin Ifebajo, Obinwanne Okeke, Kolawole Aminu, Oluwadamilola Ojo, Franklin Ibeabuchi, Alex Ogunshakin, and Joshua Ineh.

Others are Stephen Oseghale, Eghosa Obaretin, Adesina Lasisi, Ibrahim Ijaoba, Azeez Yinusa, Charles Akabuogu, Kelechi Umeh, Lotenna Umeadi, Donald Ehie, and Chukwudi Kalu.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons had released the serial fraudster and businessman, Mr Okeke, after spending six years in jail for scamming America-based businesses of $11 million between 2015 and 2019.