Fresh concerns have emerged over the detention of 62 Nigerians as Ugandan authorities allegedly denied the detainees access to legal representation, PUNCH Metro has learnt.
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.
PUNCH Metro, however, learnt that 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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