The United States Department of Justice has recently revealed charges against 16 individuals, including three nationals from Nigeria, for engaging in illegal voting and related election fraud schemes across the nation. This announcement was made via a press release on September 18, 2026.
The charges encompass a range of offenses, including unlawful voting by non-citizens in federal elections, fraudulent claims of citizenship for voting purposes, and associated crimes such as wire fraud, passport fraud, and unlawful firearm purchases identified during the investigations.
Among those charged is 67-year-old Nigerian national Helen Sayen Adams, who has been a lawful permanent resident since May 2024. She faces allegations of Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election and making False Statements of Citizenship to register to vote. Additionally, Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, a 27-year-old lawful permanent resident since 2016, is charged with making false statements related to his naturalization.
Earlier, another Nigerian, 56-year-old Gladys Adaeze Okafor, was arrested and charged with illegal voting in both the 2022 and 2024 elections.
