About 400 Nigerians are sent to U.S. federal prisons every year for different crimes, according to a document obtained exclusively by Peoples Gazette.
The document lists 3,968 Nigerians, the offences they committed, and the years they were jailed between 2016 and 2025. The crimes include fraud, bribery, extortion, burglary and larceny, and sex offences.
A review of the document shows that around 400 Nigerians received prison sentences each year during the period.
In 2016, 366 Nigerians were jailed. The figure increased to 390 in 2017 and 404 in 2018. It then fell to 393 in 2019 and 351 in 2020. From 2021 to 2025, the number climbed from 363 to 439.
The document also shows that 1,978 Nigerians were jailed for fraud, bribery, and extortion, while 828 were imprisoned for “unspecified” crimes.
Another 433 Nigerians were sentenced for burglary and larceny. A total of 422 were jailed for drug trafficking-related offences between 2016 and 2025. Seventy-four received prison terms for immigration fraud, while 64 were jailed for illegal possession of weapons and explosives.
