Nnamdi Kanu lose his UK citizenship?
Nnamdi Kanu
Nnamdi Kanu – A lot has happened since then: the UK started engaging Nigeria over the arrest of Kanu, who is also a British national; IPOB said its secessionist quest for Biafra continues; while the federal government claimed Kanu orchestrated the killing of 60 people in the country while he was abroad.
There have also been talks about the possibility of the separatist leader losing his British citizenship, with IPOB declared a terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
But can that happen?
WHEN CAN BRITISH CITIZENSHIP BE TAKEN AWAY?
The British nationality act empowers the UK to strip its nationals of their citizenship under certain circumstances.
Section 40(2) provides that the UK secretary of state can “deprive a person of a citizenship status if the Secretary of State is satisfied that deprivation is conducive to the public good”.
What then constitutes public good? A UK government document explains conduciveness to the public good to mean “depriving in the public interest on the grounds of involvement in terrorism, espionage, serious organised crime, war crimes or unacceptable behaviours”.
If such a person became a UK citizen by naturalisation, the conditions for stripping them of their nationality expand further to include: “If the Secretary of State is satisfied that the registration or naturalisation was obtained by means of—(a) fraud, (b) false representation, or (c) concealment of a material fact.”
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NATURE OF KANU’S CITIZENSHIP MAKES HIS CASE WORSE
The nationality act law allows for consideration where someone could become stateless — that is, without a nationality — if their citizenship is revoked.
In cases where the “public good” is involved, it states that the UK secretary of state “may not make an order” revoking the citizenship “if he is satisfied that the order would make a person stateless”.
In cases where the “public good” is involved, it states that the UK secretary of state “may not make an order” revoking the citizenship “if he is satisfied that the order would make a person stateless”.
But there are exceptions provided, including if the person is not born in the UK.
Subsection 4(A) states such order can still be made if: “(a)the citizenship status results from the person’s naturalisation, (b)the Secretary of State is satisfied that the deprivation is conducive to the public good because the person, while having that citizenship status, has conducted him or herself in a manner which is seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom, any of the Islands, or any British overseas territory, and…
“(c)the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds for believing that the person is able, under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom, to become a national of such a country or territory.”
TheCable could not immediately verify the type of UK citizenship the IPOB leader has, but it is most likely that he became a national of the country by naturalisation.
The BBC reported that the IPOB leader, who claims he is a Jew, moved to the UK before he could complete his undergraduate studies at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).
That would mean that he is covered under the conditions for citizenship by naturalisation and dual nationality as provided under subsection 4(A).
