The legal battle surrounding former Miss Universe Nigeria and Miss South Africa finalist, Chidimma Adetshina, has escalated into a high-stakes court case following her arrest in South Africa.
In June 2026, Adetshina was arrested in Summer Greens, Cape Town, by South African authorities. She appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court after being accused of entering and living in South Africa illegally.
This follows the massive identity and citizenship controversy that forced her to withdraw from the Miss South Africa pageant. Adetshina was formally declared a “prohibited person” under South Africa’s Immigration Act on December 19, 2024.
The Department of Home Affairs alleges that despite being banned from the country, she managed to sneak back into South Africa via the Lebombo border post from Mozambique by misrepresenting her nationality.
Adetshina has since been released on a warning, but she is scheduled to return to court as South African authorities aggressively pursue her deportation. Her minor son was also found to be residing with her without legal documentation.
This legal showdown is an extension of a long-standing investigation into her family’s documentation. The South African Department of Home Affairs previously uncovered evidence alleging that Adetshina’s mother committed identity theft years ago to secure South African identity documents.
While Adetshina went on to find immense success in Nigeria, winning Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 and placing as the first runner-up at the global Miss Universe pageant, her return to South Africa has triggered a severe legal response, turning her story into a prominent legal and diplomatic talking point across the continent.
