Old Video of Chidimma Adetshina Saying She “Always Felt Nigerian” Resurfaces Amid Deportation Battle

• An old video of Chidimma Adetshina declaring her Nigerian pride resurfaced online as her legal battle against deportation heats up
• The clip was originally recorded after her Miss Universe Nigeria win in 2024, shortly after she withdrew from Miss South Africa
• South Africans are sharply divided over what her "proudly Nigerian" remarks mean for her fight to remain in the country

A video of Chidimma Adetshina passionately declaring her Nigerian identity has made the rounds again online, and the timing could not be more loaded. The clip's return comes as the former beauty queen fights in court to prevent the Department of Home Affairs from deporting her to Nigeria.

The footage was originally recorded in 2024, in the aftermath of Adetshina's win at the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant. It came at a particularly charged moment: she had withdrawn from Miss South Africa under significant pressure linked to questions about her Nigerian heritage before heading to Nigeria to compete.

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"Not everyone likes Chidimma, but not everyone has to": Legal fight intensifies

In the video, Adetshina is unapologetic about where her identity lies.

"I do feel like I was Nigerian, and I've always felt Nigerian from the moment I was born; it's not just because of the opportunity that was presented to me. I think people who know me know that I've always embodied that spirit of being a proudly Nigerian woman. I don't want people to feel like, 'She only feels Nigerian just because she was offered an opportunity.' I've always been proudly Nigerian."

Watch Chidimma Adetshina's video below.

Chidimma Adetshina's deportation fight

The video's resurgence is directly linked to Adetshina's current legal troubles. She was arrested in Cape Town in June 2026 after authorities found that she and her minor son had been residing in South Africa without valid documentation. Her case has since been postponed to 19 August as her legal team challenges the Home Affairs department's move to deport her.

The clip's reappearance threw fuel onto an already burning debate, with South Africans using it as a lens through which to view her immigration status.

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Previously, Briefly News reported that Chidimma's fight for South African citizenship had allegedly angered Nigerians who felt she was ungrateful for their help.

Mzansi divided over Chidimma Adetshina's video

Reactions online were anything but uniform. A vocal group felt the video spoke for itself.

AfricanBlackAsa said:

"That's where she belongs."

Khutso_A wrote:

"This girl is really good at scamming."

nthabiseng_ms declared:

"Proudly Nigerian Chidimma must go live in Nigeria."

Others, however, pushed back firmly, arguing that cultural pride and citizenship are not mutually exclusive.

_ladytopaz said:

"She can be proudly Nigerian AND a South African citizen. Two things can be true at the same time."

ThabisoGoba2 defended Adetshina:

"Chidimma was born, raised, studied and has lived her entire life in South Africa. I think it would be grossly inhumane to deport her to Nigeria, a country she doesn't know. Yes, if she broke the law or did something wrong, she must be sanctioned accordingly, but not deported."

IOjuka44120 added:

"Being proudly Nigerian and proudly South African are not mutually exclusive. Embracing her father's roots after winning doesn't erase where she was born and raised. Watch the full interview; she has always embraced her dual heritage!"

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Home Affairs uses Chidimma Adetshina's Nigerian passport to push for her deportation

Chidimma Adetshina refuses to give up

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared that Chidimma Adetshina was charged up and ready to fight for South African citizenship.

The controversial beauty queen took to social media, declaring that she refuses to quit despite feeling exhausted and depressed.

Source: Briefly News