A Nigerian-American former senior officer at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, is facing federal charges for allegedly accepting over $1 million in bribes from immigration applicants in exchange for unlawfully approving their green card and citizenship applications. The FBI investigation revealed that between December 2019 and March 2026, Ganiyu abused his position at the Dallas Field Office to bypass mandatory background checks, interviews, and supervisory reviews. He manipulated the Electronic Immigration System to assign himself as the case officer on applications outside his jurisdiction, including those filed in the Minneapolis-St. Paul office.
Ganiyu’s misconduct came to light after colleagues reported him for processing cases “outside common practice and policy” in May 2025. An internal probe uncovered suspicious financial activity, including cash deposits totaling $287,830 and direct payments of $671,438 via Zelle, CashApp, and other platforms. These funds far exceeded his official income, and he could not explain their source. Investigators linked many of the depositors to pending or approved USCIS applications, raising red flags about a pattern of corruption.
One notable case involved M.N., whose I-130 petition was approved by Ganiyu despite being under the Minneapolis-St. Paul office’s jurisdiction. On November 3, 2022, Ganiyu assigned himself as the ISO2 officer and approved the application without supervisory review. He later processed three children’s applications for the same applicant, again skipping oversight, while phone records showed at least 20 contacts with M.N. during which $40,000 was deposited in installments between December 2022 and August 2024.
In another instance, Ganiyu approved applications for Charles A.’s three children on May 3, 2023, even though they were outside his jurisdiction. He received $37,000 from Charles A. between January 2024 and December 2025, plus $4,500 from Cyber 47 LLC, where Charles A. served as a registered agent. Phone records confirmed communication between them around the time of financial transactions.
Further scrutiny found Adeniyi Akeem Somoye paid $5,500 shortly before his N-400 naturalization application was approved. Ganiyu also processed applications for Somoye’s spouse and child, which had been pending since 2019. Bank records revealed Somoye wired $138,392 directly and an additional $21,900 through Double A Favor, LLC, a company he managed. Phone logs showed multiple contacts during approval periods.
The FBI identified seven other individuals connected to Ganiyu through financial and communication records. In November 2023, Ganiyu approved an application for H.E.O., an applicant outside his jurisdiction, following at least seven phone calls. Special Agent Natalie Stewart told the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas that the FBI traced over $1.7 million in bribes, but believed Ganiyu received more in untraceable cash payments.
This case highlights serious vulnerabilities in the U.S. immigration system and underscores the need for stronger oversight and accountability mechanisms to protect the integrity of public service.
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