US cracks down on criminal aliens, lists 124 Nigerians for mass deportation
DHS designates listed individuals among the "worst of the worst" convicted felons
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has officially released the names of at least 124 Nigerian nationals earmarked for immediate deportation following their convictions for high-tier felony offences.
The development, published on the agency’s official database, categorises the individuals within its “worst of the worst” criminal alien register as part of the ongoing mass deportation sweeps orchestrated under the administration of US President Donald Trump.
While the identities and mugshots of the affected foreign nationals have been uploaded to the federal portal, the exact logistical timelines for their physical removal to Nigeria remain confidential due to operational security protocols.
Cracking down on high-profile offenders
According to statements released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the targeted enforcement actions specifically zero in on undocumented migrants or non-citizens who have completed or are currently serving sentences for severe, aggravated criminal convictions.
“Under DHS leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations — starting with the worst of the worst — including the illegal aliens you see here,” the DHS statement read.
Among the prominent names listed by the immigration authorities are Sunday Adediora, Sunday Kunkushi, Marcus Unigwe, Oludayo Adeagbo, Talatu Dada, Kenneth Unanka, Jeremiah Ehis, Elizabeth Miller, and Abimbola Esan, alongside scores of others.
The federal agency declined to match specific crimes to individual names in the public notice, but standard classifications under the register include individuals convicted of large-scale international wire fraud, narcotics trafficking, armed robbery, manslaughter, and violent sexual assaults.
Escalating diplomatic friction
This latest enforcement wave marks the second massive targeted sweep against Nigerian nationals in recent months.
In February 2026, the DHS processed a separate batch of 79 Nigerians under identical criminal classifications, shipping several of them back via chartered repatriation flights.
The tightening of the American immigration loop has triggered a broader diplomatic squeeze on Abuja.
Just last month, Washington slammed partial visa restrictions on Nigerian citizens, pointing to severe deficits in Nigeria’s biometric identity management systems, inadequate real-time criminal information sharing, and high visa overstay percentages among visitors.
Legal experts note that the accelerated deportations are part of a systematic, nationwide immigration agenda being aggressively pursued following Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.
With ICE budgets heavily reinforced, immigration authorities are expected to sustain the tempo, utilising bilateral repatriation agreements to rapidly clear convicted foreign nationals out of federal and state correctional facilities.
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