62 detained Nigerian missionaries freed in Uganda, return home Thursday

The 62 Nigerians detained in Uganda have been released and are expected to return to Nigeria on Thursday, PUNCH Metro has learnt.

The Nigerians, said to be members of a Christian missionary group, Life Mission, were earlier detained by Ugandan immigration authorities over allegations of illegally operating churches.

Uganda’s Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control disclosed the arrests in a statement posted on its X handle on Wednesday, April 29.

The arrests were reportedly carried out during operations conducted on April 27, 2026, in Adjumani and the Bukoto–Ntinda area of Kampala.

However, the Executive Director of the mission group, Michael ChristisKing, told PUNCH Metro in an exclusive interview that the detainees were Christian missionaries involved in a long-running cross-cultural outreach programme focused on humanitarian services.

Speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, ChristisKing said the missionaries had been released after the charges against them were dropped, while their return tickets had been rescheduled for Thursday.

“The 62 Nigerian missionaries are expected back in Nigeria tomorrow, Thursday. Their release has been facilitated and their return tickets rescheduled after the charges against them were dropped,” he said.

PUNCH Metro had earlier reported that Ugandan authorities initially insisted on financial penalties as part of the conditions for their release.

Under the arrangement, each detainee was expected to pay a $400 fine, with an additional $100 for flight ticket rescheduling, bringing the total to $500 per person.

ChristisKing, however, disclosed that the Ugandan government later cancelled the penalty.

“The penalty has been cancelled. They are no longer expected to pay any fine other than the cost of changing their flight ticket schedule. And this is not a form of deportation since the ticket has only been rescheduled,” he explained.

He had earlier maintained that the organisation followed due process before entering Uganda, 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.

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 before the arrests.

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.

“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,” the letter partly read.

It added that the group had been carrying out missionary activities in Uganda since 2023 and was expected to arrive with 107 Nigerian missionaries and Ugandan volunteers.

The fellowship also appealed for support and assistance for the missionaries during their stay in the country.

PUNCH Metro had earlier reported that the health condition of some of the detained Nigerians deteriorated after a strange illness reportedly spread within the detention facility.