Fraud-related offences accounted for the largest share of crimes committed by Nigerians imprisoned in the United States between 2016 and 2025, according to data obtained from U.S. prison records.
The document, obtained by Peoples Gazette, showed that 3,968 Nigerians were incarcerated in federal prisons during the 10-year period for offences ranging from fraud and drug trafficking to burglary, immigration violations and weapons-related crimes.
The records indicated that nearly 400 Nigerians were jailed annually during the period under review.
Fraud, bribery and extortion emerged as the most common offences, with 1,978 Nigerians convicted for the crimes. The figure represents about half of all Nigerians imprisoned in U.S. federal facilities over the decade, averaging roughly 200 convictions each year.
The records also revealed that 828 Nigerians were listed under unspecified offences. Explaining the category, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said some inmates had no offence recorded because their sentencing information had yet to be updated in its database.
Burglary and larceny ranked as the second most common category, accounting for 434 convictions during the period.
Drug trafficking followed closely, with 422 Nigerians imprisoned for narcotics-related offences, representing about 10.6 per cent of the total number of Nigerian inmates.
The records further showed that 74 Nigerians were jailed for immigration fraud between 2016 and 2025, while another 64 were convicted for offences involving illegal possession of weapons and explosives.
The figures highlight the range of offences for which Nigerians were convicted in U.S. federal courts over the decade, with financial crimes remaining the dominant category among those imprisoned.
