Chidimma Adetshina, the winner of Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, has attended a hearing at the Cape Town Regional Court. Her legal representatives are formally disputing the validity of an ongoing deportation attempt initiated by the South African Department of Home Affairs.
Authorities arrested Adetshina in June, claiming she gained entry to South Africa unlawfully. This legal action follows a prior investigation into her mother’s citizenship, which the Department of Home Affairs suggested involved identity theft. These allegations previously forced Adetshina to withdraw from the Miss South Africa pageant.
Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina faced intense public criticism regarding her heritage. Despite these challenges, she eventually joined the Miss Universe Nigeria contest, winning the title and securing a spot at the global event. At the international finals, she finished as the first runner-up and earned the title of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania.
In the current court case, Adetshina plans to file an affidavit detailing her attempts to secure legal residency status to remain in South Africa and halt the deportation process.
