US Court Jails Celebrated Nigerian Professor for Stealing $1.4m Donor Fund Meant for Vulnerable Children

The sentencing of Dr Nkechy Ezeh, a Nigerian-born professor, to 70 months in a U.S. federal prison for stealing $1.4 million intended for vulnerable preschool children has sparked widespread outrage on social media.

Ezeh, 61, was the former CEO of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) in Michigan and a former Associate Professor of Education. Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou sentenced her on Wednesday.

The judge called her “a fraud and a thief,” and said she ran a “brazen and widespread” scheme that diverted funds meant for low-income preschool children.

Court records and the U.S. Attorney’s Office say Ezeh spent the stolen money on personal expenses. These included trips to Hawaii, Europe, and Africa, a family wedding, and payments to relatives through a “ghost payroll.”

She must also pay $1.4 million in restitution and $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service for tax evasion. She received a 60-month sentence for the tax charge, to be served at the same time.

Her co-conspirator, a former bookkeeper, was sentenced earlier to 54 months in prison. The nonprofit reportedly shut down in 2023, causing job losses and disrupting services for children.

The conviction quickly sparked reactions online. Many Nigerians expressed shame, anger, and disappointment. Some focused on the victims, calling the act “wicked,” “heartless,” and “greed of the highest order.”

Others were concerned about how this might affect the reputation of hardworking Nigerians living abroad. One user wrote, “This is why they scrutinise us abroad.”