Ex-Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, is facing deportation proceedings in South Africa after immigration authorities alleged that she lacks legal status to remain in the country.
The 25-year-old appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, following her arrest in the Summer Greens area of Cape Town. She was released on warning and is scheduled to return to court on July 16, 2026, as the case continues.
Court documents filed by immigration officer Adrian Jackson said Adetshina and her minor son were identified during an enforcement operation. Authorities said interviews and immigration record checks found that neither holds valid documentation authorising their stay in South Africa.
Jackson told the court the department found no evidence of lawful immigration status and sought confirmation of her detention pending deportation proceedings.
READ ALSO: Chidimma Adetshina Bids Farewell to Pageantry: ‘I Am Done’
The case follows an earlier decision by the Department of Home Affairs after Minister Leon Schreiber, in March 2026, rejected Adetshina’s application to review the refusal of a letter of good cause.
Authorities said she had been notified in September 2024 of plans to cancel her and her son’s South African identity documents but failed to respond.
They further alleged that her application for a South African visitor’s visa was rejected over disputed financial documents and that she did not appeal the decision, leading to her being declared a prohibited person under the country’s immigration laws.
Officials also claimed Adetshina later re-entered South Africa through the Lebombo border from Mozambique while presenting herself as a South African citizen. They said her son’s immigration status is tied to the outcome of her case.
As part of her release conditions, Adetshina must remain at her registered address and notify immigration authorities of any change in her residence, employment or movements while the proceedings are pending.