When news broke this week that Oladapo Olalekan Fadugba, a Nigerian-born U.S. citizen, had been indicted in Florida for allegedly diverting over $690,000 in federal funds through wire fraud, the headlines followed a familiar formula: Nigerian. Fraud. Identity theft.
To some readers, it’s just another chapter in the so-called “Nigerian prince” saga — except this time with government reimbursements and fake checks. But to many Nigerians, especially those in the diaspora, it’s exhausting. Because every time one Nigerian commits a financial crime, an entire nation of 200 million is dragged back into the narrative.
Let’s be clear: fraud is wrong. If Fadugba is found guilty, he should face the full weight of the law. But the issue is not the crime — it’s the cultural shorthand it reinforces. The global media is addicted to the phrase “Nigerian scammer,” and cases like this are weaponised to recycle outdated, reductionist views of Nigerians as inherently deceitful.
Meanwhile, white-collar crimes committed by U.S. executives — Enron, Theranos, Wells Fargo — are rarely framed by nationality. You’ll never see headlines like “American-born tech CEO indicted for $1.2 billion fraud.” But with Nigerians, our passports are the headline.
The irony is bitter. Across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and beyond, millions of Nigerians are excelling in medicine, engineering, law, academia, entrepreneurship, and tech. We’re building unicorns, leading universities, and serving communities. But all it takes is one fraud case — one indictment — and suddenly our collective reputation is reset to zero.
This is the real fraud: the theft of dignity, the erasure of complexity, and the lazy journalism that ignores the full scope of Nigerian excellence.
In the age of Google, search engine narratives matter. When you type “Nigerian” and autocomplete suggests “scammer” before “doctor” or “engineer,” that’s not harmless. That’s algorithmic prejudice — fed by years of media sensationalism and one-dimensional storytelling.
It’s even worse for young Nigerians trying to build international careers in tech, business, or finance. Visa delays. Bank account closures. Extra airport screenings. All thanks to an image problem we didn’t create — but are forced to carry.
Fraud is a global issue, not a cultural trait. And media coverage should reflect that. Stop naming nationalities when it’s irrelevant to the crime. Stop attaching ethnic identity to criminal behaviour unless you do it for everyone.
Nigeria’s diaspora deserves nuanced narratives — not recycled headlines from a lazy playbook. We are more than a trope. And we’re tired of being your go-to villain.
