Ugandan immigration authorities have detained 62 Nigerian nationals in Adjumani District for allegedly operating an unauthorised church and residing and working in the country without valid permits.
The country’s Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control disclosed this in a statement sighted on its X handle on Wednesday.
“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 activities, is now being processed for prosecution under Uganda’s immigration laws,” the statement posted on Monday read.
The arrests were carried out during operations conducted on April 27, 2026, in Adjumani and the Bukoto–Ntinda area of Kampala.
Officials said the exercise was based on credible intelligence from members of the public.
Speaking on the development, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Simon Peter Mundeyi, said the suspects were allegedly running a church and other businesses without valid documentation.
He added that they are currently being held at the ministry’s Namanve facility, where they are undergoing legal processing that could result in deportation, fines, or blacklisting.
“These people come under the guise of preaching the gospel and hide behind other irregular activities. So, acting on that intelligence, we swung into action and were able to apprehend them,” he said.
Mundeyi said preliminary investigations revealed differing accounts among the suspects, with some claiming they were lured into the country with false job offers, while others are believed to have links to online fraud and related offences.
In a separate operation, authorities also arrested 169 foreign nationals, including 36 women, in a Bukoto apartment for lacking valid immigration documentation.
The group reportedly comprises individuals from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
Reaffirming the government’s position, the ministry said it remains committed to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring foreign nationals operate within legal frameworks.
Mundeyi also urged landlords to exercise caution when renting to non-citizens.
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