Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, Denies Identity Theft Allegations

Chidimma Adetshina, the newly crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, has publicly addressed allegations of identity theft that surfaced during her participation in the Miss South Africa pageant.

The 23-year-old beauty queen has firmly denied the accusations, which have sparked controversy and led to her withdrawal from the South African competition.

The accusations of identity theft first came to light when South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs began investigating claims that Chidimma’s mother, who is reportedly a Mozambican naturalized as a South African citizen, may have committed fraud.

Chidimma, born in 2001 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto to an Igbo father, has found herself at the center of a nationality dispute that has drawn widespread criticism from South Africans.

In an interview with Arise TV that went viral on Saturday, Chidimma spoke out against the allegations, stating unequivocally, “I did not steal anyone’s identity.”

Despite her strong denial, she chose not to elaborate further, explaining that she wanted to avoid making statements that could later be contradicted as the investigation continues.

Chidimma explained, “I am still waiting on the conclusion of the whole case and matter, then moving forward, I will know exactly what to say. I feel like if I say something now and something different comes out tomorrow, it could be used against me. I’m just trying to avoid any contradictions.”

Chidimma’s journey took a new turn on August 14 when she accepted an invitation to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant. Her participation culminated in her being crowned the winner, a victory she passionately defended in the face of criticism that suggested her win was out of pity due to her ongoing legal troubles.

“A lot of people felt like it was a pity win, but I do not think so,” Chidimma asserted.

Chidimma concluded, “I really worked hard for this. Coming from the South African journey, we spent 10 weeks in camp. It might have been slightly different, but I feel like, if we have to look at the journey that we have all been through, I had the same experience that they did.”