Ex-Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina appears in S/African court to fight deportation

Former Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, Chidimma Adetshina, is engaged in a legal battle to prevent her deportation from South Africa. She appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court to challenge the Department of Home Affairs' move to deport her.

Adetshina's legal representatives contend that the deportation process initiated by the department is unlawful. Her court appearance follows her arrest in June, based on allegations that she entered South Africa illegally. This legal challenge is the latest development in a complex immigration dispute.

The controversy surrounding Adetshina, who was born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and Mozambican mother, initially surfaced during her participation in the Miss South Africa 2024 competition. She withdrew amid questions about her family's citizenship documentation, specifically concerning her mother's identity and citizenship status. The Department of Home Affairs had stated in August 2024 that Adetshina's mother might have been involved in identity theft.

Despite the controversy in South Africa, Adetshina later won Miss Universe Nigeria and represented her country at the Miss Universe 2024 competition, where she was the first runner-up and was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania. Her legal team is expected to present an affidavit detailing her efforts to regularize her stay in South Africa as she fights deportation.