FBI Says Nigerian Fraud Ring But Convicted Include U.S. Citizens and Other Nationalities

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the conviction of 25 individuals in a massive email hacking scheme that defrauded over 1,000 victims across 47 states and 19 countries. But they called it a “Nigerian linked fraud organization”. They made it all about Nigeria. Yet here is what they did not tell you in that headline grabbing narrative. Of the 25 people convicted, the Nigerians on that list do not even make up 30 percent. The majority of those convicted are American citizens and legal U.S. residents. The list includes Mark Dabney of Chicago, Lon Goodman the Chicago currency exchange owner, Peter Reed of Illinois, and several others with clear U.S. ties. There are also individuals from Ghana and other nationalities. But somehow the FBI and the DOJ reduced this multinational network to a “Nigerian” crime ring.

This is not balanced reporting. This is a deliberate pattern. When was the last time you saw a headline blaming Indians for the rampant tech support scams that drain billions from Americans? When have the Chinese been branded as a fraud nation for the counterfeit goods and intellectual property theft that cost U.S. companies fortunes? When have Russians been collectively shamed for the ransomware attacks that shut down American hospitals? The answer is almost never. But for Nigeria, it is always the lead story, always the label, always the stigma.

It is time Nigerians realized this is an intentional witch hunt. If multiple nationalities are involved, all should be publicly named and shamed equally. Let us see the full list of every American citizen convicted. Let us see the names of every other country represented. Until then, this selective targeting is nothing short of xenophobia dressed up as justice.

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The United States claims to hate fraud. But they seem to have a special kind of hatred reserved for Nigeria. They wasted no time handing Nigerians a visa ban at a time when insecurity is already ravaging the country. From January 2026, Nigerians seeking business, tourism, student and exchange visas face new limitations, higher scrutiny and far fewer approvals. Ordinary Nigerians trying to study in American universities or attend family weddings are being punished for the crimes of a few. This is collective punishment, plain and simple.

And the hypocrisy is staggering. They come online every day to cry and shout about Christian genocide in Nigeria. They hold hearings. They issue statements. They express grave concern. But they do absolutely nothing about it because there is nothing to gain from helping poor Nigerians. Churches are burned. Worshippers are massacred. Entire communities are wiped out. And when the persecuted Christians try to flee their country for safety, what do they get? The same United States that claims to care so deeply hands them a visa ban.

What about the drug lord president? The same United States that lectures Nigeria on corruption is protecting a man with a documented federal drug investigation in their own files. A U.S. federal judge has ordered the FBI and DEA to release records of their investigation into President Bola Tinubu relating to a drug trafficking ring. Records from 1993 show Tinubu agreed to forfeit assets to the United States, sidestepping a potential trial on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Approximately 2,500 pages of FBI and DEA records remain unreleased. They have failed to release the fraud files they have against him. They protect him so he can stay in power and give them whatever they need. It does not matter to them what Nigerians are going through. It never has.

The world is watching. But they do not care. Because Nigeria is not a country to them. It is a headline. A label. A scapegoat. And Nigerians are tired of carrying the shame for what the whole world does.

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