About 400 Nigerians are convicted and sent to federal prisons in the United States every year for various offences, according to a newly released document detailing convictions recorded over a 10-year period.
The report, which covers 2016 to 2025, listed 3,968 Nigerians imprisoned for offences including fraud, bribery, extortion, burglary, larceny, drug-related crimes, immigration violations, weapons offences and sex-related crimes.
An analysis of the figures showed that 366 Nigerians were jailed in 2016, while the number increased to 390 in 2017 and 404 in 2018. Convictions dropped slightly to 393 in 2019 and 351 in 2020 before rising again from 363 in 2021 to 439 in 2025.
The data indicated that financial crimes accounted for the largest share of convictions, with 1,978 Nigerians jailed for fraud, bribery and extortion during the period under review.
It also showed that 828 individuals were imprisoned for offences that were not specifically identified, while 433 were convicted for burglary and larceny-related crimes.
Similarly, 422 Nigerians were sentenced for drug trafficking offences, 74 for immigration-related crimes, while another 64 were jailed for unlawful possession of firearms and explosives.
The document highlights a steady stream of criminal convictions involving Nigerians in the US federal prison system over the decade, averaging nearly 400 inmates annually.
The latest figures come amid continued reports of Nigerians being convicted in the United States and other countries in the first half of 2026 for a range of criminal offences.
