Nigerian woman arrested in US over alleged false citizenship claim

A 56-year-old Nigerian woman, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested successful the United States for allegedly claiming to beryllium an American national earlier voting successful elections.

Okafor, who lives successful Lynn, Massachusetts, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with unlawfully voting arsenic an alien.

The US Department of Justice announced the lawsuit successful a connection issued on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

According to the charging documents, Okafor was calved successful Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, and became a lawful imperishable nonmigratory successful December 2022. She is not a US citizen.

Prosecutors alleged that she registered to ballot successful July 2022 and signed a declaration stating, “I americium a national of the United States. Signed nether punishment of perjury.”

She was subsequently registered arsenic a elector successful Lynn and allegedly voted successful the 2022 midterm elections.

Okafor submitted different elector registration signifier successful October 2023, again indicating that she was a US citizen.

She was past accused of voting successful the 2024 statesmanlike superior election.

The Nigerian is expected to look b...