THE Ugandan authorities have detained 62 Nigerians for “illegally operating” a church and living and working in the country without valid permits.
Uganda’s National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC), in a statement posted on its X handle on Wednesday, April 29, said the arrest followed a tip-off after learning that the individuals were operating illegally without the required permits.
It stated: “Following a tip-off, our enforcement team has arrested 62 Nigerian nationals operating illegally in Adjumani (without work permits).
“The group, primarily found operating a church among other things, is now being processed for prosecution under Uganda’s immigration.”
Spokesperson for the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Simon Peter Mundeyi, said the Nigerians often posed as gospel preachers and engage in other illegal activities, adding that they were being held at the ministry’s Namanve facility, where they were undergoing legal processes that could result in deportation, fines or blacklisting.
He alleged: “They often pose as gospel preachers while engaging in other irregular activities. Acting on intelligence, we moved in and apprehended them.”
Mundeyi stated that early investigations revealled conflicting accounts from the suspects, adding that while some claimed they were lured to Uganda with fake job offers, others were suspected to be involved in online fraud and related crimes.
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