A Nigerian dual citizen is accused of a multi-year cash-for-status scheme where he collected about $1 million. Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former Senior Immigration Services Officer at USCIS in Dallas, and his accomplice Adeniyi Akeem Somoye were arrested September 2, 2026.
Prosecutors say they ran the scheme from December 2019 through March 2026. During that time Ganiyu; Approved family petitions, Green-card applications, Petitions to remove conditions on residence, and Naturalization applications in exchange for money.
Ganiyu did not conduct required interviews, supervisory reviews, background checks, and bypassed standard protocols.
He also pulled files from USCIS offices in Minneapolis, Charlotte, and Houston so he could stamp them himself.
According to the DOJ, Ganiyu and Somoye collected about $671,438 through Zelle, Cash App, and other apps, plus $287,830 in cash deposits. Somoye moved about $1.7 million in transfers and deposited $449,010 in cash. He sent Ganiyu about $138,392 plus another $21,900 from a company he managed. Ganiyu was making about $67,732 a year in his official position.
One of the most damaging allegations is that Ganiyu assigned Somoye’s naturalization application to himself, then signed it himself the same day in December 2022. He later approved residency paperwork for Somoye’s wife and child.
Many of the cases involved applicants from African countries.
Investigators say they found thousands of WhatsApp messages and hundreds of calls between Ganiyu, Somoye, and applicants. They are being charged with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. Each man faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
source: DOJ
