US Names 24 Nigerians Arrested Over Fraud, Money Laundering

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released the names and photographs of 24 Nigerian nationals arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers over various alleged criminal offences.

The announcement, published on October 11, 2026, forms part of the US government’s ongoing immigration enforcement and deportation campaign.

According to information released by DHS, the Nigerians were arrested in different parts of the country. The offences associated with them include mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, identity theft, drug-related crimes, assault, forgery, weapons offences and cruelty towards a child.

Among those named were Emmanuel Omowaiye, arrested in Richmond, Texas, over mail fraud; Laurene Onwuka, apprehended in Chantilly, Virginia, over fraud and impersonation; and Olusegun Shonekan, arrested in Newark, New Jersey, over wire fraud.

Others include Peter Ude and Joshua Ipoade, both arrested in connection with wire fraud, as well as Shedrack Umukoro, Teslim Kiriji, Charles Ochi, Justin Akubueze and Bright Eigbedion, who were listed in connection with money laundering offences.

Michael Orji was also named over several alleged offences, including fraud, identity theft, wire fraud, money laundering and weapons-related violations.

The arrests took place across several US states, including Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois, Florida, California, Utah, New York and Wisconsin.

In its announcement, DHS said the publication was intended to highlight non-US citizens with criminal records apprehended by immigration authorities. The department linked the arrests to the administration’s wider effort to remove non-citizens prioritised for immigration enforcement.

However, the information released does not provide a detailed account of the evidence against each individual or the current status of their respective cases.

The publication of the names also does not, by itself, establish that all 24 individuals have been convicted of the offences listed or that their deportations have been completed.

The development comes amid intensified immigration enforcement under the administration of President Donald Trump, with ICE continuing arrests across the United States.

DHS has not provided a detailed public timeline for the immigration proceedings of each person named in the announcement.