FBI Reveals How Nigerian-born Senior US Immigration Officer Made $1.7m by Approving Green Cards, Permanent Residency Illegally

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has provided details of how Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a Nigerian-American and former senior officer at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, allegedly made over a million dollars from desperate immigration applicants by bypassing rigorous background checks, required interviews, and supervisory reviews to obtain permanent residency and citizenship.

Despite the Donald Trump administration’s clampdown on immigration, Mr Ganiyu (who has been arrested and charged) allegedly used his position as a USCIS senior officer to access applications from Nigerians and foreigners in the Electronic Immigration System and grant unlawful approvals between December 2019 and March 2026.

Ganiyu, working in the Dallas Field Office, came under scrutiny after colleagues found he went to great lengths to approve green card applications, including those of individuals outside his jurisdiction and purview.

Ganiyu’s colleagues reported him to the USCIS Office of Investigations in May 2025, stating that he was processing applications “outside common practice and policy”. The claim triggered an investigation into his government email, which scrutinised Mr Ganiyu’s financial records and subsequently revealed transactions of over a million dollars that did not match his annual earnings.

“Specifically, Ganiyu made approximately $287,830 worth of cash deposits and received approximately $671,438 in direct payments from individuals via Zelle, CashApp, or other financial platforms,” a court document stated.

The probe widened to cover individual and corporate entities that credited Mr Owolabi’s accounts via Zelle and his JPMorgan Chase accounts, which were cross-checked with USCIS applicants with pending matters.

FBI special agent Natalie Stewart told the court that the FBI believed Mr Ganiyu received more than a $1.7 million bribe, as that was the only money traced to his account. He had no second job or business to support his USCIS job and could not account for the source of the funds.