Nigerian Woman Arrested in US Over Illegal Voting

A 56-year-old Nigerian woman living in Lynn, Massachusetts, has been arrested and charged by United States authorities for allegedly voting illegally in federal elections despite not being a US citizen.

Gladys Adaeze Okafor, a Nigerian national and lawful permanent resident, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with unlawfully voting as an alien, according to federal prosecutors.

Authorities allege that Okafor voted in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary election after falsely claiming to be a US citizen on voter registration documents.

According to the charging documents, Okafor was born in Aba, Nigeria, and obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022. Prosecutors said she was not a US citizen and had not applied for American citizenship.

The allegations began in July 2022, when Okafor reportedly submitted a voter registration card in Lynn. Prosecutors allege that she signed a certification stating that she was a US citizen, after which the city registered her to vote.

Authorities said she subsequently voted in the 2022 midterm elections.

Prosecutors further allege that Okafor submitted another voter registration form in October 2023 and again indicated that she was a US citizen. She was then accused of voting in the 2024 presidential primary election.

The case was announced by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, which said Okafor was expected to appear in federal court in Boston following her arrest.

If convicted, the charge of unlawfully voting as an alien carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000.

Authorities also said Okafor could face deportation after completing any sentence imposed by the court.

The case is being prosecuted by the office of United States Attorney Leah Foley, with Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh handling the matter for the Major Crimes Unit.

The authorities said the allegations involve conduct across two election cycles. The proceedings will determine whether prosecutors can prove the charges against Okafor beyond a reasonable doubt under federal law. Any eventual sentence will be determined by a federal judge after considering applicable sentencing rules and the circumstances presented by both sides in court.