US Announces Names of 8 Africans Facing Citizenship Cancellation, Lists Their Alleged Offences
- The US Department of Justice named eight Africans among 40 people facing denaturalisation in what it called the largest single-period action of its kind
- The Africans on the list are from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Egypt, and each faces separate allegations of fraud or concealment during naturalisation
- It is noteworthy that the DOJ filed the complaints across multiple federal districts between August and October 2026
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The United States Department of Justice has released the names of eight Africans it is seeking to strip of their American citizenship, as part of a broader action targeting 40 individuals accused of obtaining naturalisation through fraud, concealment, or criminal conduct.
The DOJ announcement, published on Monday, October 5, 2026, described it as the largest single-period denaturalisation push in the department's history.
Source: Getty Images
The complaints were filed across multiple federal districts between late August and early October 2026. The department noted that all claims are allegations only, and no liability has been determined.
US citizenship: The 8 Africans facing denaturalisation
Below is the full list of African nationals named in the DOJ complaints, along with their alleged offences:
1. Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole (Nigeria, age 54): Ashamole faces denaturalisation in the District of Maryland after allegedly failing to disclose prior aliases, prior arrests, a prior immigration benefits application, and prior exclusions and deportations during her naturalisation proceedings.
2. Semiu Olaiye Ijelu (Nigeria, age 58): Ijelu faces denaturalisation in the Northern District of Georgia after allegedly seeking immigration benefits under two separate identities, receiving a removal order, and then marrying a US citizen without disclosing the other identities or the final removal order when he naturalised in 2009.
3. Anita Moanjeh Atem (Cameroon, age 48): Atem faces denaturalisation in the District of Maryland after allegedly concealing from immigration authorities that she had sexually abused a minor between 2004 and 2007. She was later convicted of sexual abuse of a minor under Maryland law.
4. Francis Darko Asamoah (Ghana, age 56): Asamoah faces denaturalisation in the Eastern District of Virginia after allegedly lying during his 2013 naturalisation interview by claiming he had no children, when a Virginia birth certificate listed him as the father of a child born in July 2011. The child's mother was not his US citizen spouse.
5. Dexter Anson (Ghana, age 72): Anson faces denaturalisation in the District of Connecticut after allegedly failing to disclose in his diversity visa application and naturalisation proceedings that he had previously applied for immigration benefits and received a deportation order under a different identity.
6. Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu (Sierra Leone, age 58): Akingbemisilu faces denaturalisation in the Northern District of Georgia after allegedly entering the United States with a fraudulent British passport, marrying a US citizen, and naturalising in 2008 without disclosing a prior removal order issued under the name Anthony Davies.
7. Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan Osman (Egypt, age 62): Osman faces denaturalisation in the Eastern District of Virginia after allegedly using a fraudulent H-1B work arrangement, working as a taxi driver while holding that status, and providing false testimony about his employment history throughout his naturalisation process.
8. Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali (Egypt, age 58): Ali faces denaturalisation in the Eastern District of Virginia after allegedly filing fraudulent H-1B petitions for a family member through a company that conducted no real business, and making false representations about her work history during naturalisation proceedings.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the US had released the names of the 40 people it moves to revoke their American citizenship over various offences.
Steps to becoming US citizen via naturalisation
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US had published the steps to becoming a citizen of America through naturalisation.
The guide walks applicants through the required documentation, fees, examinations, and civic responsibilities involved in earning American citizenship.
The final step involves embracing the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, which include voting in federal elections, serving on a jury, and honouring the US Constitution.
Source: Legit.ng
