International beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina has appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court to challenge a deportation order from the South African government following her arrest for allegedly residing in the country unlawfully.
Adetshina, who made history as the first runner-up at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant representing Nigeria, was detained by South African immigration authorities on June 6.
The standard-bearer is now scheduled to file a comprehensive affidavit detailing her ongoing legal efforts to regularise her immigration status in a bid to avert forced deportation.
From pageant controversy to courtroom battle
The legal showdown is the latest escalation in a bitter, years-long nationality dispute that first erupted during the Miss South Africa 2024 contest.
Adetshina, who was born in Soweto, South Africa, to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, initially met all legal eligibility criteria to compete for the Miss South Africa crown. However, her participation triggered a fierce wave of xenophobic backlash online due to her Nigerian heritage.
The controversy deepened when the South African Department of Home Affairs launched an investigation into her family’s documentation, alleging in August 2024 that Adetshina’s mother may have been involved in identity theft to secure her citizenship papers. The administrative pressure forced Adetshina to withdraw from the pageant.
Making history under the Nigerian flag
Following her forced withdrawal in South Africa, Adetshina accepted a prestigious invitation to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 pageant. Representing Taraba State, she won the national crown, earning the right to represent Nigeria on the global stage in Mexico City.
Her resilience culminated in a historic milestone when she emerged as the first runner-up at the global Miss Universe finals—marking Nigeria’s highest-ever placement in the history of the international competition.
Her historic feat was highly celebrated by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), which lauded her as a symbol of fortitude and grace under intense adversity.
The looming deportation verdict
The current legal proceedings have pulled the spotlight away from her runway triumphs and back onto her fractured legal status in South Africa.
The Cape Town Regional Court will evaluate her upcoming affidavit to determine if the global beauty icon has a legitimate path to regularising her residency or if she will face formal deportation to Nigeria or Mozambique.
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