Lukman Ganiyu and Adeniyi Somoye #

Introduction #

Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former Senior Immigration Services Officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, described in court documents as his financial accomplice, were arrested on federal charges for their alleged roles in a multi-year scheme to receive illegal gratuities in exchange for manipulating and expediting immigration applications, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced on September 4, 2026. Both men, located in Texas, are charged with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case drew national attention for what prosecutors called a blatant abuse of the immigration system by the very official entrusted to administer it.

Background Information #

Ganiyu worked as a senior immigration services officer at USCIS, a position that gave him authority over immigration application decisions, and earned a government salary of $67,732 per year, according to court documents obtained by the New York Post. Somoye, who allegedly acted as the scheme’s money manager, reported just $7,506 in legitimate yearly wages. Investigators allege the pair bypassed standard procedures by funneling bribe-paying applicants directly to Ganiyu, skipping steps in the immigration process such as criminal background checks, interviews, supervisory review, and jurisdictional limitations. Prosecutors say Ganiyu rigged the USCIS system to seize control of files from field offices in Minneapolis, Charlotte, and Houston — avoiding local supervisors so he could rubber-stamp the applications himself. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the alleged scheme ran from December 2019 through March 2026.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

According to the federal criminal complaint filed on August 31, 2026, Ganiyu used his official position to approve immigration applications — including Forms I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence), I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence), and N-400 (Application for Naturalization) — in exchange for money, allegedly expediting approvals for applicants, many of whom were not eligible under federal law. Investigators discovered the reported racket through extensive WhatsApp communications between Ganiyu, Somoye, and individual applicants — thousands of messages and hundreds of calls during the charged period, several payments corresponding directly with immigration approvals Ganiyu issued. Between December 2019 and March 2026, Ganiyu is alleged to have pocketed roughly $671,438 via Zelle and Cash App, plus $287,830 in cash deposits designed to hide the money’s source — nearly $960,000 in total, per prosecutors. Somoye is alleged to have accumulated roughly $1.7 million in transfer volume, partially attributed to applicants, skimming a portion of the bribes as payment, and depositing $449,010 in cash. Ganiyu is also accused of fast-tracking citizenship for Somoye himself, then green-lighting residency for Somoye’s wife and child; most of the applications involved came from African countries, according to prosecutors.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

“Selling immigration benefits for cash is a blatant abuse of public trust,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a statement announcing the charges. “When a federal official puts a price tag on lawful status, we will intervene immediately.” FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said the alleged manipulation of immigration decisions for personal gain “undermines the integrity of a process essential to our national security.” The case was investigated by the USCIS Office of Investigations, the DHS Office of Inspector General, and the FBI Dallas Field Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham prosecuting. Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. Coverage spread rapidly across national and international outlets, including Nigerian media, with commentators seizing on the allegation that a federal immigration officer had allegedly turned lawful status into a marketplace. Notably, as the investigation mounted, Ganiyu was not immediately fired — he quietly resigned from USCIS citing personal reasons in March 2026, just months before federal authorities moved to arrest him.

Current Status #

Ganiyu and Somoye were arrested on September 2, 2026, and their initial court appearances were held the same day before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. As of September 6, 2026, the charges — conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official — remain allegations, and no convictions have been entered; both men are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case rests on a criminal complaint supported by an investigator’s affidavit; the defendants have entered no reported pleas, and no trial date has been reported. Whether additional charges or additional defendants emerge remains an open question at this writing.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

For Ganiyu, a federal career in the immigration service is definitively over: he had already resigned from USCIS in March 2026 while under investigation, and he now faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and the permanent collapse of the government career the allegations have stained. Somoye, whose reported legitimate income was under $8,000 a year, faces the same statutory penalties over an alleged scheme in which prosecutors say he processed roughly $1.7 million in transfer volume. The alleged payments that correspond directly with immigration approvals mean the people whose applications were bought and sold could themselves face renewed scrutiny of their immigration benefit decisions, though prosecutors have not announced any actions against applicants. For USCIS, the case has become a fresh talking point in the national debate over the integrity of the legal immigration process, with the U.S. Attorney framing the prosecution as a warning that public corruption inside the system will be met with immediate federal intervention.