Crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has addressed allegations of identity theft by the South African government.
In an interview with Arise News, the 23-year-old denied any involvement in identity theft, stating that she is waiting for the legal case to conclude before making further comments.
Born in Soweto, South Africa, to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina faced backlash during her announcement as a contestant in the Miss South Africa pageant.
The South African Department of Home Affairs accused her mother of committing fraud and identity theft, which led to public scrutiny.
Adetshina firmly denied the allegations, explaining that she has chosen to refrain from commenting on the case until all the facts are available.
She emphasised that her decision to exit the Miss South Africa pageant was not an attempt to evade the accusations but to pursue her goal of competing in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.
“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 said.
Adetshina expressed her reluctance to speak on the issue in detail, citing its legal nature and her lack of full knowledge regarding the matter.
However, she reassured the public that her decision to focus on her dream had nothing to do with running from the allegations.
“I really avoided the questions because it is a legal matter and I don’t have all the facts around the matter, but what I can say is that I was not running away from any of that. I was just running because I knew I had a dream that I wanted to fulfil,” she explained.
“I’m not fully aware of the matter. But what I can speak on is that I know I did not steal anyone’s identity.”
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