By Hussein J-Isah
Nigeria’s representative in the Miss Universe 2024 contest, Chidimma Adetshina, has arrived Mexico for the pageantry event, scheduled to hold on November 16.
Adetshina, 22 and winner of Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 title in August, arrived in the North American country on Tuesday.
She expressed appreciation for the love and support received from her fans in an Instagram post.
The South Africa-based model said, “To the charming gardeners of the Universe, I appeal to you to welcome me with open hands, hearken to the echoes of a mind on a mission, a story so big, and a drive so powerful to call the Universe to action.”
Adetshina faced a threat from South African authorities to withdraw her citizenship and travel documents in the country, leading to nationality crisis in South Africa this year following her emergence as a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant.
She faced an investigation by the Department of Home Affairs over her eligibility for the beauty contest based on her dual heritage of Mozambic and Nigeria
She withdrew from the beauty contest following xenophobic criticisms on the social media, opening the window for her emergence in the Nigerian contest where represented Taraba State, leading to her subsequent crowning as Miss Universe Nigeria.
But, the latest challenge came up on Tuesday when South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs informed a parliamentary committee that Adetshina and her mother would lose their documents as citizens.
A report by the BBC stated that this was due to the women’s failure to meet a deadline to justify their citizenship claims.
A senior official in the department of home affairs, Tommy Makhode, informed that the matter had been referred to the Hawks, (a police unit handling serious crimes) which concluded in its report that it was a “case of fraud.”
The official said that further action would depend on the prosecutors’ decisions.
In the faced of the conundrum, Adetshina has maintained a strong sense of dual identity, expressing herself in an interview with the BBC as “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian.”
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