The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched what it describes as the largest denaturalisation operation in the country’s history, filing civil lawsuits seeking to revoke the citizenship of 25 naturalised Americans, including three Nigerians.
According to a statement released by the department, the cases were filed in federal courts between July 20 and August 3.
Authorities allege that the affected individuals obtained US citizenship through fraud, concealment of important facts, or deliberate misrepresentation.
The DOJ said the latest filings bring the total number of civil denaturalisation cases initiated since January 20, 2025, to 123, making it the highest number on record.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said US citizenship is a privilege that must be obtained legally, alleging that some of the individuals concealed serious criminal histories, immigration violations, fraudulent identities, or other information that could have affected their eligibility.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate also described the move as the largest coordinated denaturalisation effort ever undertaken by the department.
Three Nigerians named
Among those listed are three Nigerian-born naturalised US citizens:
- Jonathan Omorogieva Obasohan (56): Accused of obtaining US citizenship under a false identity after allegedly concealing a previous deportation order and making false statements during the naturalisation process.
- Yetunde Folake Olaniyi (also known as Folake Rosemary Thomas, 56): Accused of assuming a different identity after a removal order, allegedly entering into a sham marriage to secure permanent residency while still married to another man, and later becoming a US citizen. She was previously convicted of passport fraud.
- Vivian Chike Obichere (72): Allegedly failed to disclose her use of another person’s identity during her naturalisation process and later pleaded guilty to passport-related offences.
The remaining cases involve naturalised citizens from several countries, including Pakistan, Mexico, Colombia, Ghana, Haiti, Jamaica, Taiwan, Liberia, Cameroon, Jordan, Cuba, El Salvador, Peru, Honduras, India, Moldova, and Sweden.
According to the Justice Department, the allegations across the cases include immigration fraud, identity theft, passport fraud, marriage fraud, bank fraud, domestic violence, attempted murder, child sexual abuse, and concealment of criminal conduct.
The department stressed that these are civil proceedings, and all allegations remain unproven unless established in court. It also noted that none of the defendants has been found liable at this stage.
