Nigerian Woman Arrested for Illegal Voting in U.S.

Gladys Adaeze Okafor, a 56-year-old Nigerian citizen from Aba, Abia State, was arrested in Lynn, Massachusetts, on charges of unlawful voting as an alien. According to the U.S.

Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Okafor allegedly voted in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary after registering as a voter and falsely declaring herself a U.S. citizen. She submitted her first voter registration application in July 2022, signing under penalty of perjury.

Okafor was registered to vote by the City of Lynn and cast a ballot in the 2022 elections before obtaining lawful permanent resident status in December 2022. She allegedly registered again in October 2023, again claiming U.S. citizenship, and voted in the 2024 primary.

The charge against her carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000. Okafor is presumed innocent until proven guilty.