The United States government has revoked the citizenship of a Nigerian-born woman, Vivian Chike Obichere, after a court found that she had obtained naturalisation by concealing previous passport fraud and making false statements to immigration authorities.
The US Department of Justice disclosed that the US District Court for the Northern District of California issued the denaturalisation judgment on October 13, 2026, formally stripping Obichere of the citizenship she acquired in 2013.
According to the department, Obichere had previously used the identity of an American citizen to obtain a US passport and later concealed the activities during her application for American citizenship.
The case dates back to 1992, when Obichere allegedly used the name, Social Security number, birthplace and date of birth of a US citizen identified as “C.C.O.” to secure a passport fraudulently. She renewed the passport in 2002.
In 2003, she obtained lawful permanent resident status in the United States using her real identity. However, in 2012, she allegedly attempted to renew the passport issued under the assumed identity while also pursuing US citizenship under her real name.
The Justice Department said Obichere testified under oath during her naturalisation interview that she had never used the name C.C.O., despite knowing that the statement was false.
She subsequently became a naturalised US citizen in 2013, while an investigation into her activities was ongoing.
In 2015, the US District Court for the Northern District of California convicted her of making a false statement in an application and using a passport. During the criminal proceedings, she admitted to making false statements and other misrepresentations to the US government over several years.
The Justice Department filed a civil complaint seeking to revoke her citizenship on July 30, 2026. On October 7, both parties submitted a joint motion requesting a consent judgment to revoke her naturalisation.
The court granted the request on October 13, bringing the denaturalisation proceedings to a conclusion.
Commenting on the case, Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said denaturalisation was a means of addressing cases involving people who conceal crimes or defraud the American public.
“Securing denaturalization is the final step to strip citizenship from those who conceal crimes or defraud the American people,” Shumate said.
“This administration will continue its historic denaturalization campaign to protect the value of U.S. citizenship.”
Cuban-Born Woman Also Loses US Citizenship
The Justice Department also announced the revocation of the citizenship of Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres, a Cuban-born woman who was convicted of conspiring to commit money laundering.
Acosta Torres became a US citizen in 2015 but was convicted in 2020 for her involvement in a scheme to defraud a tribal casino in Florida.
She was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $150,000 in restitution.
Her citizenship was revoked by the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on October 14, 2026.
The two cases form part of the denaturalisation actions announced by the US Department of Justice against individuals whose citizenship was obtained under circumstances involving fraud or criminal conduct.
0 Comments