Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The 62 Nigerian nationals who had been held in Ugandan detention for more than two weeks were released on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, and are expected to return to Nigeria on Thursday, May 14, the executive director of their missionary group has confirmed. The mass release followed a dramatic shift by the Ugandan government, which dropped all charges and cancelled a controversial $400 per person fine that had been demanded as a condition for freedom.
The Nigerians, members of a Christian missionary group called Life Mission, were arrested on April 27, 2026, during coordinated immigration operations in Adjumani District and the Bukoto–Ntinda area of Kampala. Ugandan authorities accused them of operating an illegal church and living and working in the country without valid work permits. In a statement posted on its X handle, Uganda’s Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control said the arrests followed a tip-off and that the group was being processed for prosecution. Simon Peter Mundeyi, spokesperson for Uganda’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, went further, alleging that the Nigerians “often pose as gospel preachers while engaging in other irregular activities,” including online fraud.
But the executive director of Life Mission, Michael ChristisKing, rejected those allegations from the start. In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Metro, he insisted that the detained individuals were legitimate humanitarian volunteers engaged in a long-running cross-cultural outreach programme, particularly among refugees in Ugandan camps. He said the organisation had followed due process, securing invitations and approvals from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Commissioner for Refugees, and the Born Again Fellowship of Uganda before any volunteer set foot in the country. A document dated August 15, 2025, addressed to the Nigerian High Commission in Kampala, confirmed that the fellowship had formally acknowledged the mission’s activities, describing it as “well known” and a non‑profit granted permission to bring volunteer students to Uganda.
The conditions of detention were alarming. According to a detailed account published by CrossRiverWatch, the 62 missionaries and two infants — each five months old — were thrown into a prison vehicle and driven for about 12 hours to a facility on the outskirts of Kampala. They were paraded as criminals and televised on Ugandan national television. They were denied access to lawyers, phones, or any form of communication with the outside world. On April 28, immigration officials forced the missionaries to sign a document agreeing to the accusations under duress. A Ugandan lawyer contracted by the group, Israel Mivule, was refused entry to the detention facility in Namawme when he attempted to meet the detainees. “After introducing myself as a lawyer acting on instructions, I was refused access and directed to return to Kampala to obtain permission from senior officials,” Mivule told PUNCH Metro. “I pleaded with the officer to allow me at least a one‑on‑one interaction with any of the detainees to assess their well‑being, but he declined, saying granting such access could jeopardise his job.”
The health of the detainees deteriorated rapidly. In a call that briefly gained access to a phone, one of the detained missionaries, Innocent Onyedikachi, told PUNCH Metro that at least 20 detainees were experiencing symptoms believed to be linked to industrial emissions from facilities surrounding the detention centre. “There are several industries around this place, and sometimes smoke enters the rooms. We are exposed to unknown gases in the air. Many of us are experiencing nasal congestion,” he said. A five‑month‑old baby, being nursed by one of the detained mothers, was hospitalised twice after falling seriously ill. It took four days for an ambulance to arrive when the infant first developed symptoms, according to a female detainee, Ruth Dauda.
The Ugandan government initially demanded that each of the 62 adults pay $400 as a fine, with an additional $100 for flight rescheduling, bringing the total to $500 per person. Those who could not pay faced prosecution. However, after sustained pressure from the Nigerian Embassy, human rights defenders, the media, and the international community, the government performed a sudden reversal. “The penalty has been cancelled. They are no longer expected to pay any fine other than the cost of changing their flight ticket schedule,” ChristisKing told PUNCH Metro. He emphasised that the arrangement was not a deportation, as the tickets had merely been rescheduled, and the missionaries would return home voluntarily.
The release marks the end of a 16‑day ordeal that exposed deep tensions between Uganda’s immigration enforcement and the rights of foreign religious workers. While Ugandan authorities had framed the arrests as part of a broader crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals — including the simultaneous detention of 169 other foreigners in Kampala — the case of the Nigerian missionaries drew particular scrutiny because of their humanitarian mission and the involvement of infants. The National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches, which had earlier recognised the group’s work, expressed shock at the arrests, according to Mivule.
As the 62 missionaries prepared to board their flight on Thursday, the relief among their families in Nigeria was palpable. Many had spent sleepless nights following news of the deteriorating health conditions and the financial demands. The group’s leader, Emmanuel Ezeobi, who was among the detainees, had consistently denied allegations of illegal church operations, insisting that the missionaries only visited local congregations as guests to engage in discipleship, teaching, and community support. “The churches we work with can testify to this,” he had said.
The reversal by the Ugandan government leaves several questions unanswered. Why were the arrests made in the first place if the missionaries had proper approvals? Why were they denied access to lawyers for days? And what prompted the sudden dropping of charges and fines — a decision that came only after widespread criticism? For now, the immediate crisis has ended. The 62 Nigerians are coming home. But the ordeal they endured has left an indelible mark, and the diplomatic ripples may continue for some time.
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