United States authorities have brought charges against three Nigerians and 13 other foreign nationals over alleged offences linked to voting and voter registration in the country.

The charges were announced by the US Department of Justice as part of a broader crackdown on alleged election-related violations involving non-citizens. The cases reportedly involve accusations of unlawful voting, false claims of US citizenship, and improper voter registration.

The Nigerians named in the cases are Gladys Adaeze Okafor, Helen Sayen Adams, and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom. Prosecutors allege that some of the defendants participated in federal elections despite not being eligible to vote under US law.

According to authorities, the investigations uncovered instances in which certain individuals allegedly claimed to be US citizens in order to register as voters or cast ballots. Additional allegations in some of the cases include fraud-related offences and other violations connected to immigration or citizenship status.

One of the cases involves Okafor, a lawful permanent resident who was accused of registering and voting before obtaining US citizenship. Adams was also charged with allegedly voting in a federal election and making false citizenship claims during voter registration, according to prosecutors.

US officials said the prosecutions are part of ongoing efforts to enforce election laws and ensure that only eligible citizens participate in federal elections. The defendants are expected to face legal proceedings where the allegations against them will be tested in court.

As with all criminal cases, the accused individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.