- A US federal court revoked the citizenship of Nigerian-born Vivian Chike Obichere on October 13, 2026, after finding that she lied during her naturalization process
- Court records show that Obichere's deception began in 1992, when she allegedly used another person's identity to obtain a US passport
- The US Department of Justice described the denaturalization as part of a broader campaign against citizenship fraud under President Donald Trump's administration
A Nigerian-born woman who became a US citizen in 2013 has lost her citizenship after a federal court found that she had concealed information and lied under oath during her naturalization proceedings.
Source: Getty Images
The US Department of Justice announced on October 21, 2026, that the US District Court for the Northern District of California had issued a denaturalization order against Vivian Chike Obichere on October 13, 2026.
The court found that Obichere had concealed critical information and made false statements during the process through which she obtained American citizenship.
Nigerian Woman's Decades of Identity Deception
Court records show that Obichere's fraudulent conduct began in 1992, when she allegedly assumed the name, Social Security number, birthplace and date of birth of a real American citizen identified only as “C.C.O.”
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She used the identity to obtain a US passport unlawfully and renewed the same fraudulent passport in 2002.
In 2003, Obichere obtained lawful permanent residency under her actual identity.
However, in 2012, she attempted to renew the fraudulent passport under the alias C.C.O. while simultaneously applying for US citizenship using her real name.
During her naturalization interview, Obichere testified under oath that she had never used the name C.C.O., despite allegedly knowing that the statement was false.
She was granted US citizenship in 2013.
In 2015, a court in the Northern District of California convicted her of making false statements in the application and use of a passport. During those proceedings, she admitted to having deceived the US government on multiple occasions.
US Justice Department Explains Citizenship Revocation
The US Department of Justice filed a formal complaint seeking to revoke Obichere's citizenship on July 30, 2026.
Both parties submitted a joint motion for a consent judgment on October 7, and the court issued the revocation order six days later, on October 13.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division linked the case to the government's efforts to protect the integrity of US citizenship.
“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.”
Denaturalization is the legal process through which a person who acquired citizenship through naturalisation loses that status following legal proceedings.
Another Woman Loses US Citizenship in Separate Case
The Justice Department also announced a separate denaturalization case on October 14, 2026, involving Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres, a Cuban national whose US citizenship was revoked by a federal court in Florida.
The court found that Acosta Torres had concealed her involvement in a money laundering conspiracy.
She had been convicted in 2020 and ordered to pay nearly US$150,000 (approximately KSh 19.5 million) in restitution.
The two cases were presented by the Justice Department as examples of efforts to address citizenship obtained through fraud or the concealment of criminal conduct.
Trump's Administration Steps Up Immigration Enforcement
Obichere's case comes amid a broader immigration enforcement push under President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January 2025.
According to the report, the Trump administration has cancelled more than 300,000 visas since returning to office, with the US State Department describing the pace of revocations as the fastest in the country's history.
The denaturalisation of Obichere concerns citizenship obtained through naturalization, which is legally distinct from visa cancellation. Her case centred on findings that she had concealed information and made false statements during the process of becoming a US citizen.
Source: Legit.ng