A document obtained by Peoples Gazette shows Nigeria leads 46 African nations with 283 citizens in U.S. federal prisons — 30.8 per cent of all 914 African inmates — followed by Ghana and Somalia, prompting Nigeria’s foreign ministry to attribute the figure to its large population.
Nigeria has claimed an unwanted continental title — most citizens locked up in U.S. federal prisons.
According to a document exclusively obtained by Peoples Gazette, 46 of Africa’s 54 nations collectively have at least 914 inmates serving time in U.S. federal prisons as of May 22, for crimes ranging from drug trafficking and burglary to romance fraud and wire fraud. Nigeria tops that list with 283 inmates — a staggering 30.8 per cent of all African prisoners in the U.S. system. Names on that roster include convicted fraudster Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas, Invictus Obi, traditional ruler Oba Joseph Oloyede, ex-NNPC chief Paulinus Okoronkwo, and Professor Nkechy Ezeh.
Ghana follows with 71 inmates (7.7%), and Somalia rounds out the top three with 68 (7.3%). Sudan, Kenya, Egypt, Liberia, Ethiopia, Cameroon and South Africa fill out the rest of the top ten, while countries like Botswana, Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea each have just one citizen behind bars.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Kemiebi Ebienfa, pushed back against any reputational reading of the numbers: “So if we have people who have committed offences in other countries, our numbers will be higher than in countries with tiny populations. There is nothing special about it.” On fears of damaged investor confidence, he added: “A fraction of our people committing offences abroad does not mean that is how the world will see us. No. We have Nigerians who are very successful in the U.S., both in the private and public sectors.”
Government spokespersons Bayo Onanuga and Daniel Bwala, along with Ghana’s Felix Kwakye Ofosu, did not respond to requests for comment.
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