…as agents storm work places, sanctuary centres to arrest suspects, alert other security officers across America
. Detained Nigerian born American Senior official, associate confess to receiving $1million via CashApp, Zelle for years to grant approvals to ineligible applicants
* Federal agents seize huge Gigabits of WhatsApp Messages, Chat Group, Voice Notes of Nigerians caught in transaction
. Liaise with Telecom providers, Department of Public Transport to track, and locate residences of immigrants that unlawfully receive immigration benefits
. Homeland Security Investigations, FBI spread out to make apprehension at working places, sanctuary centres, and notify other security officers across the nation
. Suspects face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, revocation of Immigration Documentation, Deportation to Nigeria after jail term
. ‘The alleged manipulation of immigration decisions for personal gain undermines the integrity of a process essential to our national security. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses their position of trust’ – FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock
Without an iota of doubt, thousands of Nigerians in the United States who may have received their Green Cards or Naturalisation Citizenship in Texas may be under fire, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in joint raid with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has perfected strategies to secretly enforce arrests of all ineligible immigrants who received their immigration benefits through a Nigerian-born Senior U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, (USCIS) and his associate, having received a princely sum of One Million Dollars ($1million) through CashApp and Zelle for years to avert any suspicion.
While in detention, after being sacked, Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former Senior USCIS officer, and his associate, Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, confessed to their alleged involvement in a multi-year bribery, immigration fraud scheme, released huge Gigabits of WhatsApp Messages, Chat Group, Voice Notes of Nigerians caught in transaction to Federal law enforcement agents.
Investigators also identified extensive WhatsApp communications between Ganiyu, Somoye and numerous applicants whose immigration cases they handled, including thousands of messages and hundreds of calls during the charged period.
In a recorded confession, Ganiyu and Somoye said they received millions of dollars in cash for years, bypassed protocols of mandatory checks, supervisory reviews; interviews, standard processing parameters, and expedited immigration case processing to grant approvals to ineligible applicants in I-130 (family member sponsorship), I-485 (Adjustment of Status), I-751(Remove Conditions) and N-400 categories (Naturalisation) categories.
INVESTIGATION by Naija Standard Newspaper Inc USA Editorial Board confirmed that Ganiyu and Solomon handed over their four mobile phones to the security operatives, which revealed full details of every Nigerian in thousands resident in the United States that may have received these immigration benefits illegally to beat the system.
As such, the DHS, FBI officers are now liaising directly with Telecom providers, Department of Public Transport to track, and locate residences of immigrants that unlawfully receive Green Cards and U.S Naturalisation Citizenship through the backdoor channel.
Presently, Homeland Security Investigations, HIS, FBI are about to spread out to make apprehension at working places, sanctuary centres, and notify other security officers across the nation for any fugitive trying to evade arrest.
On September 4, 2026, the DOJ announced the arrest of two individuals:
* Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu – former Senior Immigration Services Officer at USCIS
* Adeniyi Akeem Somoye – accused of aiding and abetting.
The Charges: Filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, the criminal complaint accuses Ganiyu and Somoye of conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities as public officials.
The alleged corrupt scheme ran from December 2019 through March 2026. Ganiyu quietly abscond from USCIS citing personal reasons in March 2026 before federal agents moved in to make arrests on September 2, 2026.
Prosecutors claim Ganiyu accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars to the tune of $1million in bribes to fast-track and unlawfully approved green cards and naturalization applications (including forms I-130, I-485, I-751, and N-400).
Bypassed Protocols: Investigators allege Ganiyu deliberately skirted mandatory background checks, supervisory reviews, interviews, and standard processing parameters to grant approvals to ineligible applicants.
Penalties: Each defendant and all suspects found guilty face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, fine of up to $250,000 after conviction, revocation of Immigration Documentation, Deportation to Nigeria after jail term.
A federal criminal complaint filed Aug. 31, charges the duo with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. Federal agents arrested both on Sept. 2.
“The alleged manipulation of immigration decisions for personal gain undermines the integrity of a process essential to our national security,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses their position of trust.”
USCIS Office of Investigations, DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case while Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chad Meacham from the Fraud section is prosecuting suspects.
(Source: NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER with modified headline)
