An exclusive document obtained by Peoples Gazette from the US Bureau of Prisons reveals that 3,968 Nigerians were convicted and imprisoned in American federal prisons between 2016 and 2025, with fraud, bribery and extortion accounting for the largest single category of offences.
Nearly 4,000 Nigerians. Ten years. One damning document.
Peoples Gazette has exclusively obtained data from the US Bureau of Prisons revealing that 3,968 Nigerians were convicted and jailed in American federal prisons between 2016 and 2025 — an average of roughly 400 per year across the decade.
The breakdown makes for sobering reading. Fraud, bribery and extortion led all categories with 1,978 convictions — nearly half the total. A further 828 were jailed for unspecified offences, though the BOP clarified this simply reflects cases where sentencing information had not yet been entered into the system.
Burglary and larceny accounted for 433 convictions, while drug trafficking-related crimes sent 422 Nigerians to federal prison. Seventy-four were jailed for immigration fraud, and 64 for illegal possession of weapons and explosives.
The US Bureau of Prisons declined to release mugshots or images of any of the incarcerated individuals, citing privacy, safety and security concerns. “The Bureau of Prisons does not release mugshots or intake photographs except for individuals who are actively on escape status,” the BOP stated.
Among the prominent names on the list is Umar Abdulmutallab — the infamous “underwear bomber” — jailed in 2016 for his failed attempt to detonate explosives aboard an American aircraft. Also featured are internet fraud kingpins Bidemi Rufai, Obinwanne Okeke and Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas, each serving time for multimillion-dollar cybercrime schemes that drew international attention.
The full list, including names, crimes and sentencing years for all 3,968 individuals, is available for download via Peoples Gazette.
The data arrives at a particularly sensitive moment in Nigeria-US relations, as Washington continues to scrutinise Nigeria’s handling of financial crimes, drug trafficking and national security concerns.
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