US Publishes Names of 8 Africans Facing Citizenship Cancellation, Mentions Their Alleged Offences

The US Department of Justice announced what it described as the largest single-period denaturalisation action in its history, targeting 40 individualsEight Africans from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Egypt are among those named in the complaints filed between August and October 2026Each of the eight faces separate allegations ranging from identity fraud and concealment to criminal conduct during their naturalisation proceedingsPAY ATTENTION: Mark YEN.com.gh as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!

The United States Department of Justice has moved to strip eight African nationals of their American citizenship as part of a sweeping denaturalisation action involving 40 individuals accused of obtaining citizenship through fraud, concealment, or criminal conduct.

The DOJ announced the action on Monday, October 5, 2026, describing it as the largest single-period denaturalisation push in the department's history.

US DOJ targets eight Africans from five countries in its largest denaturalisation action, alleging fraud, concealment Image credit: Win McNamee, Al Drago/Getty Images Source: Getty ImagesComplaints were filed across multiple federal districts between late August and early October 2026. The department noted that all charges remain allegations, and no liability has been determined.

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The African nationals facing denaturalisation span five countries. Two Nigerians are included: Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole, 54, who allegedly failed to disclose prior aliases, arrests, an earlier immigration benefits application, and prior deportations during her proceedings in the District of Maryland; and Semiu Olaiye Ijelu, 58, who allegedly sought immigration benefits under two separate identities and concealed a removal order before naturalising in the Northern District of Georgia in 2009.

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From Cameroon, Anita Moanjeh Atem, 48, faces denaturalisation in the District of Maryland after allegedly hiding from immigration authorities that she had sexually abused a minor between 2004 and 2007. She was subsequently convicted of sexual abuse of a minor under Maryland law.

Two Ghanaians are also on the list. Francis Darko Asamoah, 56, allegedly told interviewers during his 2013 naturalisation process in the Eastern District of Virginia that he had no children, despite being named as the father on a Virginia birth certificate for a child born in July 2011. The child's mother was not his US citizen spouse. Dexter Anson, 72, faces proceedings in the District of Connecticut after allegedly concealing a prior deportation order and a separate identity in his diversity visa application and naturalisation filings.

Citizens of 4 African nations face possible US citizenship loss

Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu, 58, from Sierra Leone, allegedly entered the United States using a fraudulent British passport and naturalised in the Northern District of Georgia in 2008 without disclosing a prior removal order issued under the name Anthony Davies.

Two Egyptian nationals round out the African contingent. Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan Osman, 62, faces denaturalisation in the Eastern District of Virginia after allegedly working as a taxi driver while holding H-1B status and providing false testimony about his employment history throughout his naturalisation process. Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali, 58, also faces proceedings in the same district, accused of filing fraudulent H-1B petitions through a company that conducted no genuine business activity and of misrepresenting her work history during naturalisation.

The breadth of the action, spanning five African countries and multiple federal jurisdictions, signals a significant escalation in the DOJ's efforts to identify and prosecute cases of naturalisation fraud.

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the US government has detailed the income requirements that citizens and permanent residents must satisfy before they can sponsor a foreign family member for a Green Card.

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The form is a binding document through which a sponsor commits to providing financial support for the immigrant they are petitioning for.

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Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Philip Boateng Kessie (Head of Human Interest Desk) Philip Boateng Kessie is the Head of the Diaspora Affairs Desk at YEN.com.gh, where he has worked since 2022. He has over eight years of journalism experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Cape Coast. Philip previously served as Head of the Human Interest Desk at YEN.com.gh and has also worked as a reporter for Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and a content writer for Scooper News. He also holds certificates in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. Email: philip.kessie@yen.com.gh