Two Nigerians have been arrested in the United States over an alleged scheme in which immigration applications were manipulated and expedited in exchange for money.
The suspects are Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former Senior Immigration Services Officer with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, who is accused of working with him in the alleged scheme.
According to the US Department of Justice, federal agents arrested the two men on September 2 after a criminal complaint was filed against them on August 31.
Prosecutors allege that Ganiyu abused his position at the USCIS Dallas Field Office between December 2019 and March 2026 to approve or expedite immigration applications in exchange for illegal payments.
The applications allegedly included petitions and applications for family-based immigration, permanent residence, removal of conditions on residence and US citizenship.
Investigators say Ganiyu allegedly bypassed required interviews, supervisory reviews, jurisdictional restrictions, background checks and other standard USCIS procedures to facilitate approvals.
The investigation also uncovered an extensive trail of communications between the suspects and people whose immigration cases they allegedly handled.
The Department of Justice said investigators found thousands of WhatsApp messages and hundreds of phone calls between Ganiyu, Somoye and numerous applicants during the period covered by the allegations.
Authorities also identified payments that allegedly corresponded with specific immigration approvals issued by Ganiyu.
The case therefore goes beyond allegations that the suspects simply sold physical Green Cards or immigration documents. According to federal prosecutors, the alleged operation involved using an insider’s position within the US immigration system to manipulate official applications and obtain immigration benefits for people, including some who may not have been eligible under federal law.
The FBI, USCIS Office of Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation.
The two suspects have been charged with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. Each faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
The US authorities have not publicly released a list of all applicants allegedly involved in the scheme or established a final number of Green Cards or citizenships allegedly obtained through the operation.
