US begins process to revoke citizenship of two Nigerians, 38 others over alleged immigration fraud

The United States Department of Justice has filed denaturalisation cases against two Nigerians and 38 other individuals accused of obtaining or retaining US citizenship through fraud, concealment of material facts or other serious offences.

The department announced on Monday, October 5, 2026, that the 40 cases were filed across multiple US district courts between August 21 and October 2, describing them as the largest volume of denaturalisation complaints submitted in a single period under the Trump administration.

Among those targeted are Nigerian nationals Douglas Chukwuka Eze, also known as Anthony Chux Ezehez, and Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole.

According to the DOJ, Eze was convicted in 2023 on two counts of false swearing in an immigration matter after admitting that he stole the birth certificate of Spencer Douglas Callaghan in the 1990s and used Callaghan’s identity to obtain immigration benefits.

The department alleges that Eze concealed material facts and made wilful misrepresentations during his immigration and naturalisation proceedings, including misrepresenting his identity and criminal history.

In Ashamole’s case, the DOJ filed a complaint on September 25 in the District of Maryland, alleging that she failed to disclose previous aliases, arrests, a prior immigration benefits application, and previous exclusions and deportations despite being asked to provide the information during her naturalisation process. The department is seeking to revoke her naturalisation on allegations of fraud and false testimony.

The DOJ said US law allows the citizenship of a naturalised citizen to be revoked if it was illegally obtained or secured through concealment of a material fact or wilful misrepresentation.

Attorney General Todd Blanche described the latest action as the largest denaturalisation effort in modern history, alleging that the defendants concealed critical information from the US government.

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate also said the administration would continue pursuing denaturalisation cases against individuals it believes obtained citizenship through deception.

However, the Justice Department noted that the allegations contained in the civil complaints have not been proven in court and that there has been no determination of liability in the cases.