The United States Department of Justice says it has filed a lawsuit seeking to revoke the citizenship of a Nigerian, Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem, who was jailed in 2018 over an $11m fraud.

Our correspondent  learnt from a statement obtained on the DoJ website on Thursday that Kazeem was convicted on 19 counts bordering on wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

According to the statement, in May 2013, a victim in Medford, Oregon, notified the Internal Revenue Service that false federal and Oregon state tax returns had been filed electronically using her and her husband’s personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth.

The statement noted that an IRS investigation led to the execution of search warrants at residences in Illinois, Maryland, and Georgia, as well as multiple email and instant messaging accounts used by Kazeem and other co-conspirators.

It continued, “At a Chicago residence, agents seized approximately 150 prepaid debit cards and $50,000 in money orders. In Maryland and Georgia, agents seized more than 50 electronic devices, 40 money orders exceeding $29,000, $14,000 in cash, and numerous prepaid debit cards containing over $12,000 in fraudulent tax refunds.

The search warrants helped agents identify Kazeem as the leader and mastermind of the scheme.

“The scheme resulted in the conspirators possessing stolen personal identifying information of more than 259,000 victims. Kazeem purchased more than 91,000 identities from a Vietnamese hacker who originated from an Oregon company’s private database.

“The company provided pre-employment and volunteer background checks for thousands of clients. Kazeem divided the identities into batches and shared them with other co-conspirators, which were then used them to file fraudulent tax returns between 2012 and 2015.”

The statement added that investigations revealed that Kazeem trained and directed other co-conspirators, including his younger brother, Michael Oluwasegun Kazeem, to use stolen identities to obtain thousands of electronic filing PINs to bypass IRS authentication procedures.

It added that Kazeem and his accomplices acquired over 19,500 E-File PINs during the conspiracy and used taxpayers’ identities to gain unauthorised access to IRS transcripts, while stolen prepaid debit cards were used to receive tax refunds.

It further stated, “In total, Kazeem was linked to 10,139 fraudulent federal tax returns attempting to obtain over $91m in refunds and successfully receiving over $11.6m.

“Refunds were withdrawn from the debit cards, and at least 2,000 wire transfers totalling over $2.1m were sent to Nigeria. Over 700 of those transfers, amounting to more than $690,000, were directly linked to Kazeem.

“Kazeem used the proceeds to make a nearly $200,000 down payment on a newly constructed house and to purchase a $175,000 townhouse, both in Maryland. His average monthly credit card payment between 2012 and 2015 exceeded $8,300. He also attempted to use the funds to develop a $6m four-star hotel in Lagos.”

The statement added that in May 2015, Kazeem transferred the townhouse to his sister in Nigeria for $10 and also added her to the deed of his Maryland residence for the same amount before his arrest the following day.

The DoJ said Kazeem was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment in 2018 and ordered to pay more than $12m in restitution, but his sentence was later commuted and he was released from prison by former US President, Joe Biden.

In the fresh suit, the department alleged that Kazeem’s actions disqualified him from lawful naturalisation.

“The complaint alleges that Kazeem’s fraud scheme, committed before and after his naturalisation, along with the concealment of his crimes, precluded him from obtaining citizenship lawfully.

“It also alleges that Kazeem engaged in a sham marriage to obtain permanent resident status and later married a second woman, further disqualifying him from naturalisation,” the statement added.

The move comes amid renewed immigration enforcement under the administration of Donald Trump, which has reiterated its stance against criminal migrants through crackdowns and deportations

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official visit to the United Kingdom will boost Nigeria’s economic outlook and pave the way for a £746 million port financing deal.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the party’s spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, said the trip is expected to deepen economic diplomacy and drive key infrastructure projects, especially within the maritime sector.

The APC noted that the visit will facilitate and formalise a £746 million financing arrangement involving UK Export Finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and the Federal Ministry of Finance, aimed at rehabilitating major seaports across the country.

According to the party, the agreement will prioritise the upgrade of two major facilities, the Lagos Port Complex (Apapa Quays) and the Tin Can Island Port Complex, with the goal of modernising port infrastructure and enhancing trade operations.

It described the initiative as a major milestone in positioning Nigeria as a leading maritime hub in West Africa, while also stimulating economic growth.

The party added that the visit highlights the administration’s resolve to strengthen international partnerships in line with its broader economic reform agenda.

“The visit provides an important platform for high-level engagements with government officials, investors, and development partners on issues critical to Nigeria’s growth, including infrastructure development, energy transition, technology transfer, education, security collaboration, and opportunities for Nigerian businesses in global markets,” the statement read.

The Lagos APC further emphasised that the United Kingdom remains a longstanding economic partner and a vital ally in Nigeria’s development efforts.

It expressed optimism that the outcomes of the visit would attract increased foreign direct investment, enhance bilateral trade ties, and generate employment opportunities for citizens.

The party also pointed to President Tinubu’s history of leveraging international partnerships for development during his time as governor of Lagos State, noting that his current diplomatic engagements reflect that experience.

It urged Nigerians to see the visit as part of a broader nation-building strategy anchored on economic diplomacy, stressing that sustained global engagement is key to long-term prosperity.

The APC reaffirmed its belief that the visit will further strengthen Nigeria’s economic prospects and elevate its standing on the global stage.

Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra has directed all political appointees in the state to hand over their duties with immediate effect, barely 24 hours after his inauguration for a second term.

The directive is contained in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

The circular was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Nwabufor Nwankwo.

According to the circular, affected appointees are to hand over to Permanent Secretaries or, in their absence, the most senior civil servant in their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

It stated that the handover process must be completed on or before the close of work on the same day, pending the constitution of a new cabinet.

“I am directed to inform all political appointees to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most senior civil servant in the various MDAs on or before the close of work today, until a new cabinet is constituted,” the circular read.

The government also directed all first-term cabinet members to meet with the governor on March 23 at 10 a.m. at the Anambra State Executive Council Chambers.

The circular was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Nwabufor Nwankwo.