Nigerian immigrant arrested in Pennsylvania for indecent exposure while canvassing for Democratic candidate
Police arrested Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe, a 35‑year‑old Nigerian national, on Sept. 27 in East Pennsboro Township after officers observed him sitting in his car with his genitals exposed while he claimed to be waiting to distribute flyers for Democratic candidate Janelle Stelson.
According to the arresting officer’s affidavit, Igbojekwe told officers he was in the neighborhood for work and produced a stack of campaign flyers as evidence. The officer, Trevor J. Jeffers, noted that his genitals were fully exposed while the vehicle was parked in a residential area near a park.
Igbojekwe was initially charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. The indecent exposure charge was dropped on Sept. 30, and he pleaded guilty to a third‑degree misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. On Oct. 1, Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized him on immigration violations.
Janelle Stelson’s campaign manager, Alma Baker, issued a statement denying that the candidate had ever employed Igbojekwe, stating, "This individual is not and has never been employed by the Janelle Stelson campaign. If he is an illegal immigrant who committed a crime he should be deported." The campaign added that they had never heard of him prior to the arrest.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Charles Wall called the incident "unbelievable" and said ICE would continue to target illegal aliens who commit crimes. "Every single day, the men and women of DHS are working hard to remove dangerous illegal aliens like this from our communities," Wall said.
Political opponents seized on the incident, with Republican activists highlighting the case as evidence of Democratic reliance on illegal immigrants. The National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Reilly Richardson said, "Stelson wants to flood Pennsylvania communities with criminal illegal immigrants because that’s who’s propping up her campaign."
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Igbojekwe entered the United States legally in 2017, overstayed his visa after November 2019, and received deferred action in September 2021.
The case underscores ongoing tension between immigration enforcement and political campaigning, as authorities continue to investigate whether any campaign staff knowingly employed an undocumented worker.
