A major immigration corruption case has rocked the United States after federal authorities arrested a former senior U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official accused of taking illegal payments to manipulate and fast-track immigration applications.
Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former Senior Immigration Services Officer with USCIS, and alleged associate Adeniyi Akeem Somoye were arrested on September 2, 2026, following a federal criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of Texas.
Federal prosecutors allege that between December 2019 and March 2026, Ganiyu abused his position to approve or accelerate immigration cases in exchange for money.
The applications allegedly involved several major immigration benefits, including Form I-485 applications for permanent residence, I-130 family petitions, I-751 petitions to remove conditions on residence and N-400 applications for U.S. citizenship.
Investigators claim Ganiyu bypassed safeguards that ordinarily form part of the immigration process, including required interviews, background checks, supervisory reviews, jurisdictional restrictions and other USCIS procedures.
Reports citing investigators put the alleged payments at nearly $960,000, turning the case into a stunning federal corruption investigation involving immigration benefits.
Somoye is accused of working alongside Ganiyu in the alleged scheme. Authorities also uncovered extensive communications, including thousands of WhatsApp messages and hundreds of calls involving the defendants and applicants whose cases were allegedly handled through the operation.
Both men have been charged with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official.
If convicted, each could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of as much as $250,000.
The investigation involved USCIS investigators, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office.
Authorities have stressed that the criminal complaint contains allegations only. Ganiyu and Somoye are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
