US Arrests Nigerian Convict in Immigration Crackdown

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested a Nigerian national, Rotimi Oladimeji, as part of a nationwide operation targeting undocumented migrants with criminal records.

ICE, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday, said Oladimeji had a prior conviction for mail and wire fraud and was ordered to pay over $1.1 million in restitution before being picked up by its New Orleans field office.

“Nigerian criminal alien Rotimi Oladimeji’s criminal history includes mail and wire fraud. He was ordered to pay $1.1M+ in restitution before ICE New Orleans arrested him,” the agency stated.

Oladimeji was sentenced in December 2023 to three years in prison by a U.S. District Court after pleading guilty to participating in a romance scam that defrauded an American woman of nearly $1.17 million. According to court filings, the victim believed she was in a relationship with a veterinarian in St. Louis, only to be tricked into sending large sums of money.

Prosecutors revealed that Oladimeji received a 20 per cent share of the fraudulent proceeds, while accomplices in Nigeria and other intermediaries shared the rest.

Although his conviction also carried a deportation order, Oladimeji reportedly remained in the U.S. after serving his sentence. His latest arrest adds to the growing nu