
Anabela Rungo, the mother of Nigerian beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina, has been arrested in South Africa on suspicion of identity document fraud.
Related Content
Related Content
According to reports, she was taken into custody by the South African Department of Home Affairs in Cape Town.
The arrest follows an investigation into Rungo’s residency status, which revealed discrepancies in her documentation.
As a result of the investigation, Rungo’s South African documentation was revoked in September 2024.
Despite this, she appears to have remained in the country using her Mozambican passport.
During the arrest, authorities found Adetshina’s underage child living with Rungo.
The Department of Home Affairs is working with local authorities to ensure the child’s safety and well-being.
Rungo will face further investigation and potential charges related to her alleged fraud.
Here is the statement from the Department of Home Affairs:
“Investigators from the Department of Home Affairs, assisted by the South African Police Service (SAPS), this morning detained Ms Anabela Rungo, the mother of Ms Chidimma Adetshina, at a property in Cape Town. The Department withdrew Ms Rungo’s South African documentation in September 2024 after finding that it had been fraudulently obtained, rendering her ineligible to continue residing in South Africa. In an apparent act of brazen disregard for the legal consequences of her conduct, it appears that Ms Rungo has defied her “undesirable” status through her Mozambican passport. Investigations are ongoing into further potential misrepresentation and fraudulent conduct. During the operation this morning, investigators from the Counter Corruption and Immigration Services branches of the Department also found Adetshina’s under-aged child residing with Rungo. After being processed by Home Affairs over her apparent illegal continued residence in South Africa, Ms Rungo will be handed over to the SAPS as she is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. Home Affairs is further liaising with the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Unit as it relates to protecting the interests of the under-age child. The Department will provide further updates at opportune moments. No interviews will be taken on this matter at this stage.”