‘God is there’: Chidimma Adetshina breaks silence after court appearance

Former Miss Universe Nigeria and Miss South Africa finalist Chidimma Adetshina has yet again sparked intense public interest.

Adetshina made a brief appearance at the Cape Town regional court on Thursday to challenge deportation proceedings initiated against her by the department of home affairs.

In June, she was arrested by authorities in Cape Town after being found living in South Africa without lawful immigration status.

While members of the media were barred from filming inside the courtroom, videos of the controversial beauty queen leaving court have circulated widely on social media.

The footage triggered some members of the public taking to social media to slam her legal battle against deportation.

Amid the mounting backlash, Adetshina took to her Instagram stories to post a picture of herself after the court appearance. She received love in the comments from her supporters.

Responding to a comment from a follower expressing heartbreak over her legal troubles, Adetshina replied: “God is there.”

The controversy is part of a long-running dispute surrounding her family’s documentation which first erupted in 2024 during her run as a Miss SA contestant. At the time, the department of home affairs said it had found prima facie evidence suggesting that Adetshina’s mother, Anabela Rungo, may have committed fraud and identity theft to secure South African citizenship in 2001.

Rungo was arrested in February 2025 on charges of contravening the Immigration Act and Identification Act. She was later granted R10,000 bail on condition she lived under house arrest.

Adetshina subsequently withdrew from the Miss SA pageant, went on to win Miss Universe Nigeria, and even placed as first runner-up at Miss Universe.

Here are some of the reactions on X:

The case returns to court on Monday.

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