The Ugandan government has arrested 62 Nigerians for “illegally operating” a church and residing and working in the country without valid permits.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ugandan National Citizenship and Immigration Control said the arrests followed intelligence reports indicating that the individuals were carrying out activities without proper authorisation.
“Following a tip-off, our enforcement team has arrested 62 Nigerian nationals operating illegally in Adjumani (without work permits),” the statement reads.
“The group, primarily found operating a church among other things, is now being processed for prosecution under Uganda’s immigration.”
Simon Peter Mundeyi, spokesperson for the ministry of internal affairs, stated that the suspects often present themselves as gospel ministers while engaging in other unlawful activities.
He added that the individuals are currently being held at the ministry’s Namanve facility, where they are undergoing legal procedures that may lead to deportation, fines, or blacklisting.
“They often pose as gospel preachers while engaging in other irregular activities. Acting on intelligence, we moved in and apprehended them,” Mundeyi said.
According to him, preliminary investigations have revealed conflicting accounts from the suspects, with some claiming they were deceived into travelling to Uganda with fake job offers, while others are being linked to online fraud and related offences.