To the ‘son of the soil’, the incident of being deprived of his Nigerian citizenship might not even have crossed the mind for a second throughout his sojourn – why should he be bothered? However, for those who became citizens through naturalization, questions bordering on deprivation of citizenship is one that cannot be overlooked.
Nigeria is a hospitable place, and there is definitely nothing wrong with holding dual citizenship. But then what can make an individual lose a right he/she has spent years to gain? The reasons are basically hinged on ethical grounds whereby a naturalized citizen had failed on certain moral standards and/or showed disloyalty to the state to which he/she had sworn allegiance.
Section 30 subsection 1 states thus: The president may deprive a person, other than a person who is a citizen of Nigeria by birth or by registration, of his citizenship, if he is that such a person has within a period of seven years after becoming naturalised, been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years.
Subsection 2, part a the person has shown himself by act or speech to be disloyal towards the Federal Republic of Nigeria; or
Subsection 2: The president shall deprive a person, other than a person who is citizen of Nigeria by birth, of his citizenship, if he is satisfied from the records of proceedings of a court of law or other tribunal or after due inquiry in accordance with regulations made by him, that:
Subsection 2, part b the person has, during any war in which Nigeria was engaged, unlawfully traded with the enemy or been engaged in or associated with any business that was in the opinion of the president carried on in such a manner as to assist the enemy of Nigeria in that war, or unlawfully communicated with such enemy to the detriment of or with intent to cause damage to the interest of Nigeria.