South Africa working to detain Miss Universe Nigeria amid citizenship row

South African authority has asked a Court to detain Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, while pursuing her deportation at the same time.

After taking arguments for and against the request by the South African authority, the Court reserved judgement until August 19, while the citizenship dispute continues.

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Adetshina’s lawyers argued that she poses no flight risk for her to be detained since she is challenging her citizenship status.

In what seems to be a significant escalation of the legal impasse, the South Africa’s department of Home Affairs worked to remand former Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina, a 25-year old beauty queen.

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Home Affairs contended in the Cape Town Regional Court on Monday that the former beauty queen did not have the necessary immigration documents to remain in South Africa.

The state prosecution lawyers urged the court that she should be detained pending deportation rather than allowed her to move freely while the case continues.

The presiding Magistrate Reema Khorana did not rule in favour of the prosecutors, but reserved judgement on the detention motion until August 19.

The Magistrate said the Court will give both parties enough time, while encouraging them to settle out of Court.

Prosecutors told the court that Adetshina continues to hold a South African passport she has refused to surrender despite also holding Nigerian citizenship.

They further alleged that she obtained Nigerian travel documents for herself and her child in Lagos before using a South African visa to re-enter the country through Mozambique.

Chidimma Adetshina, was born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother and resides in South Africa.

Her legal team rejected the state’s position, arguing that Adetshina was born in South Africa, has no meaningful ties to Nigeria, and poses no flight risk.

They proposed that rather than detention, she should report to an immigration officer every two weeks while the matter is resolved.

Her lawyers also pointed out that the Department of Home Affairs failed to conduct a thorough investigation before invalidating her documents, and noted that her citizenship status remains the subject of a separate challenge before the High Court.

The proceedings were further complicated by a recent Western Cape High Court ruling that magistrates do not have the authority to issue arrest warrants for immigration detention, a power that belongs exclusively to immigration officers. The ruling raises questions about the legal foundation of the detention push against Adetshina.

Adetshina first came to international attention in 2024 when questions about her citizenship forced her withdrawal from the Miss South Africa pageant amid intense public scrutiny. She subsequently represented Nigeria at Miss Universe, finishing first runner-up, the highest placement ever achieved by a Nigerian contestant.

She was arrested in Cape Town in June over allegations that she is residing in South Africa without a valid immigration status. Following Monday’s hearing, she described herself as exhausted and depressed but vowed to keep fighting.

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