Nigeria TV Info 

US to Deport 18 Nigerians on ‘Worst‑of‑the‑Worst’ Criminal List

Published: Tuesday, February 10, 2026

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced plans to deport an additional 18 Nigerian nationals listed among the country’s “worst‑of‑the‑worst” criminal offenders, expanding an ongoing enforcement initiative targeting non‑citizens convicted of serious crimes.

The announcement, published on the DHS website on Monday, shows the 18 new names added to the criminal deportation register, bringing the total number of Nigerians slated for removal to 97. These individuals were convicted of offences including wire fraud, mail fraud, identity theft and other serious crimes.

An official statement accompanying the updated list emphasized that the arrests and deportation actions are part of a nationwide crackdown by U.S. authorities. The effort is led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the direction of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and is being carried out under the broad immigration enforcement policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.

The newly named Nigerians include Oluwaseyanu Akinola Afolabi, Olugbeminiyi Aderibigbe, Benjamin Ifebajo, Obinwanne Okeke, Kolawole Aminu, Oluwadamilola Olufunsho Ojo and Franklin Ibeabuchi, among others.

The DHS labels those on the “worst‑of‑the‑worst” list as individuals who pose a significant public safety risk. Deportation proceedings will follow U.S. immigration law and could involve removal operations carried out in cooperation with Nigeria’s diplomatic authorities.

The expanded deportation list comes a week after U.S. authorities revealed that 79 Nigerians were already listed for deportation under the same initiative, highlighting the growing scale of enforcement against criminal non‑citizens.