NIGERIAN WOMAN ARRESTED IN US OVER ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING, FALSE CITIZENSHIP CLAIM

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Agency report

A 56-year-old Nigerian woman and lawful permanent resident has been arrested in Massachusetts and charged by US authorities with allegedly voting illegally in federal elections after falsely claiming to be an American citizen.

Fox News congressional correspondent Bill Melugin reported the development in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“BREAKING: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has arrested a Nigerian non-citizen in Lynn, MA and DOJ has charged her after they say she illegally voted in several US elections, including the 2024 Presidential election & 2022 midterms, and falsely attested to be a US citizen multiple times while registering to vote in MA,” Melugin wrote.

The woman, identified as Gladys Adaeze Okafor, was charged by the US Department of Justice with unlawfully voting as an alien.

Okafor, a Nigerian national, reportedly holds a green card and lawful permanent resident status in the United States but has not applied for US citizenship.

As a non-citizen, she is not legally permitted to vote in US federal elections.

According to the DOJ, Okafor registered to vote in Lynn, Massachusetts, in July 2022 and falsely attested that she was a US citizen.

She allegedly went on to vote in the 2022 midterm elections.

The DOJ further alleges that Okafor submitted another voter registration form in 2023 and again falsely attested to being a US citizen.

She was subsequently accused of voting in the 2024 presidential election.

Melugin reported that Okafor allegedly admitted voting in the 2024 election during a recorded interview with an HSI agent last week.

“DOJ says the case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Leah Foley as part of DOJ’s joint effort with DHS to crack down on unlawful voting and election fraud,” Melugin wrote.

Okafor is expected to make her first appearance in federal court in Boston on Wednesday.

The case comes amid a broader federal enforcement effort targeting alleged illegal voting and fraudulent voter registration by non-citizens.

The Justice Department has recently announced several cases involving non-citizens accused of illegally voting or falsely claiming US citizenship in connection with elections.

In one September 2026 case, federal prosecutors charged five people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin over alleged illegal voting and fraudulent registration connected to the 2022 and 2024 elections.

Federal prosecutors have stressed that charges and criminal complaints are allegations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Melugin serves as a congressional correspondent for Fox News Channel based in Washington, DC.