The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has put the names and photographs of 24 Nigerians on public display, saying they were picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents over alleged crimes committed in the country.
The entries appear on DHS’s “Worst of the Worst” online portal. Each lists the person’s name, the offence attached to the arrest and the place where the arrest happened.
Fraud makes up a large share of the cases. Emmanuel Omowaiye was arrested in Richmond, Texas, over mail fraud.
Olusegun Shonekan, held in Newark, New Jersey, and Peter Ude, held in Atlanta, Georgia, are both listed for wire fraud. Newton Jemide, arrested at Fort Dix, New Jersey, is linked to wire fraud, conspiracy and mail fraud.
Five others are listed for money laundering. Shedrack Umukoro and Teslim Kiriji were both arrested in Yazoo City, Mississippi, while Charles Ochi was held in White Deer, Pennsylvania. Justin Akubueze was arrested in Orem, Utah, and Bright Eigbedion in Lompoc, California.
Michael Orji, arrested in Oxford, Wisconsin, has the most extensive entry. His listing covers fraud, identity theft, wire fraud and money laundering, along with a weapons offence and false citizenship.
The remaining names are tied to drug offences, forgery, assault, identity theft and cruelty to a child.
DHS described those on its portal as the “worst of the worst” criminal aliens. It said the publication spotlights non-citizens with criminal records arrested by ICE, and that it is part of the Trump administration’s promise of mass deportations, beginning with those it regards as the most dangerous offenders.
This is not the first time Nigerians have appeared on the portal.
THE WHISTLER had earlier reported in July that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a similar list naming 124 Nigerians.
The portal does not give the full circumstances of each arrest, the current state of each person’s immigration case, or whether anyone has already been deported.
The offences should therefore be read as those DHS has attached to the arrests, and not as proof that every person named was convicted of each charge.
