Miss Universe Nigeria’s mother arrested in South Africa

South African authorities have arrested Anabela Rungo, the mother of Nigeria’s Miss Universe representative, Chidimma Adetshina, over alleged identity document fraud.

Rungo, a Mozambican citizen, was taken into custody in Cape Town following a joint operation by the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Police Service (SAPS). This comes months after she was declared persona non grata in September 2024 due to irregularities in her residency status.

In an official statement, the Department of Home Affairs disclosed that Rungo’s South African documents were revoked last year after they were found to have been fraudulently obtained. Despite this, she allegedly continued residing in the country, using her Mozambican passport to bypass restrictions.

Authorities further revealed that during the raid, investigators discovered an underage child of Adetshina living with Rungo, prompting intervention from the Department of Social Development and the SAPS Child Protection Unit.

Following her processing for illegal residence, Rungo will be handed over to law enforcement, as she is also under investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.

The Department of Home Affairs stated that further updates would be provided in due course, emphasizing that no interviews would be granted at this stage.