- The US government published a list of 40 foreign nationals targeted for denaturalisation, including citizens from Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon
- Two Nigerians, Semiu Olaiye Ijelu and Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole, faced complaints filed in federal courts over immigration fraud and false testimony
- Among the Ghanaians on the list, one individual lost citizenship after 13 years following revelations of fraud during the naturalisation process
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The United States government has published a list of 40 foreign nationals targeted for denaturalisation.
Source: Facebook
Africans form a notable portion of those named, including two Nigerians, two Ghanaians, two Egyptians, one Sierra Leonean, and one Cameroonian.
US authorities have emphasised that concealing material information during naturalisation, including prior identities, removal orders, arrests, or prior applications, constitutes grounds for stripping citizenship regardless of how long an individual has held it.
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"A naturalized US citizen who illegally obtained naturalisation by hiding important facts or lying will have their citizenship revoked and certificate of naturalisation canceled," the US stated on X.
Which Nigerians face loss of American citizenship?
Semiu Olaiye Ijelu, 58, is among those named after a complaint was filed against him in the Northern District of Georgia.
According to the US government, Ijelu had pursued immigration benefits under two separate identities before becoming a citizen and had been issued a removal order.
Rather than leave the country, he married a US citizen, used the marriage to adjust his immigration status, and eventually naturalised in 2009. He allegedly concealed both his alternate identities and the outstanding removal order throughout those proceedings.
The second Nigerian, Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole, 54, faces a complaint filed in the District of Maryland.
Ashamole is accused of fraud and false testimony during her naturalisation process, having failed to disclose prior aliases, prior arrests, a previous immigration benefits application, and multiple prior exclusions and deportations, all of which were specifically requested on her application.
Why a Ghanaian lost status after 13 years
One of the two Ghanaian nationals on the list had held US citizenship for 13 years before the government moved to strip it.
Authorities established that the individual had obtained citizenship through fraudulent means, with the denaturalisation action following a review of his original naturalisation proceedings.
The broader list spans nationals from multiple continents, though the African representation is particularly notable given the number of countries involved.
Complaints against the individuals named have been filed across various federal districts, with charges ranging from immigration fraud and use of false identities to failure to disclose prior criminal history and deportation records.
Source: TUKO.co.ke