Monday, May 4, 2026 - Fresh concerns have emerged over the detention of 62 Nigerians as Ugandan authorities allegedly denied the detainees access to legal representation.
The Nigerians, said to be members of a Christian missionary
group, Life Mission, were detained by immigration authorities over allegations
of illegally operating churches.
The country’s Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration
Control disclosed this in a statement posted on its X handle on Wednesday.
It was also learnt that the arrests were carried out during
operations conducted on April 27, 2026, in Adjumani and the Bukoto–Ntinda area
of Kampala.
However, in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Metro on
Thursday, the executive director of the mission group, Michael ChristisKing,
said the detainees were Christian missionaries engaged in a long-running
cross-cultural outreach focused on humanitarian service.
ChristisKing also disclosed that the organisation followed
due process before entering the country, adding that the group secured
invitations and approvals from relevant authorities, including the Office of
the Prime Minister, the Commissioner for Refugees, and the Born Again
Fellowship of Uganda.
Efforts to check on their welfare and provide legal
representation had been unsuccessful.
A Ugandan lawyer, Israel Mivule, who was contracted by the
mission group, told PUNCH Metro on Sunday that he was denied
access to the detainees during a visit to the facility on Friday.
He added that he made repeated efforts to speak with at
least one detainee but was denied access.
He said, “I arrived at the detention facility in Namawme, a
large compound with a high fence and a locked gate. 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.
“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 lawyer stressed that the development was a clear breach
of Ugandan constitutional provisions.
He further revealed that from his position at the gate, he
could see the detainees moving within the facility, but observed that they were
cut off from communication.
“As a lawyer, I emphasised that detainees have the right to
legal representation and a fair hearing. Under Articles 50 and 51, they have
the right to access their lawyers at any time. Denying them that access is a
violation of their rights.
“From where I stood, I could see them moving around, but
they had no access to communication devices such as mobile phones. Preventing
them from communicating with their lawyers or even family members infringes on
their fundamental freedoms,” he added.
Mivule said he was forced to leave after spending
considerable time at the facility without gaining entry.
He disclosed that efforts were ongoing to secure the release
of the detainees, noting that there were grounds to challenge their continued
detention.
The lawyer also revealed plans to revisit the Ugandan
Ministry of Internal Affairs and possibly escalate the matter to court if
diplomatic efforts fail.
Speaking further on efforts made, Mivule said there had been
initial collaboration with the Nigerian embassy, including discussions around
possible waivers.
“There were discussions about payments and possible waivers
requested from Internal Affairs, but if the embassy does not act promptly, we,
as legal representatives, will formally write and escalate the matter to the
courts to obtain an order for their immediate release,” he added.
He disclosed that the body assigned to monitor missionary
activities in Uganda had expressed surprise at the development.
Mivule said, “One of the leaders responsible for overseeing
missionary activities was unaware of their detention and expressed shock when I
informed him. He acknowledged that urgent steps should be taken to resolve the
matter.”
However, a document sighted by PUNCH Metro on Sunday showed
that the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches in Uganda had
formally acknowledged the mission’s activities in the country before their
arrest.
In a letter dated August 15, 2025, and addressed to the
Nigerian High Commission in Kampala, the fellowship confirmed that the mission,
identified as Exalting Jesus Life Missions, was “well known” to the body.
The letter, signed by the General Secretary of the
fellowship, Bishop Dr Africano Magyezi, stated that the organisation is a
non-profit group granted permission to bring volunteer students to Uganda for
missionary work, particularly among refugees in camps.
It read, “This is to confirm to you that the above-captioned
ministry/mission is well known to us. They are a non-profit organisation that
was granted permission to bring volunteer students on a mission to Uganda,
ministering to refugees living in the refugee camps.
“They have been working in Uganda since 2023, carrying out
those missions, and now they are coming to Uganda with a group of 107 Nigerian
missionaries and other Ugandan volunteers. The Fellowship supports its members
to upgrade their careers and statuses so as to participate better in community
development.”
The fellowship further urged that any assistance rendered to
the group in the course of its activities would be appreciated.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Diaspora
Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, could not be reached for comments as calls to
his telephone line were not answered.
A text message sent to him had also not been replied to as
of the time this report was filed.
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