Chidimma Adetshina, the newly-crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, has publicly addressed the serious allegations of identity theft brought against her by the South African government.
The controversy began when Chidimma, originally announced as a contestant for Miss South Africa, faced criticism and scrutiny. The South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) revealed preliminary evidence suggesting that Chidimma’s mother had committed fraud and identity theft.
Born in 2001 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, Chidimma’s father is of Igbo descent from Nigeria, and her mother is a Mozambican who has since become a naturalized South African citizen. Following the allegations, Chidimma withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant and accepted an invitation to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.
In an interview with Arise News on Friday, the 23-year-old beauty queen firmly denied the allegations. “I did not steal anyone’s identity. I’m just waiting for the conclusion of the case and the whole matter. Then moving forward, I will know exactly what to say because I feel right now if I say something and another thing comes out tomorrow, I’m just avoiding all those two things contradicting each other,” she stated.
Chidimma emphasized that she avoided discussing the matter in detail because it is a legal issue and she does not have all the facts. “I was not running away from any of that. I was just running because I knew I had a dream that I wanted to fulfill,” she added.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Chidimma remains focused on her aspirations and maintains her innocence regarding the identity theft allegations.