Ugandan authorities on Monday, April 27, arrested more than 231 foreign nationals, including 62 Nigerians, over illegal migration and cybercrime.
The arrests followed tw o coordinated, intelligence-driven raids conducted in Adjumani and the Bukoto–Ntinda axis of Kampala.
Officials say the operation was triggered by credible information provided by members of the public.
Speaking on the development, ministry of internal affairs spokesperson, Simon Peter Mundeyi, revealed that the Nigerian suspects were running a church and engaging in other ventures without the required work permits.
He added that they are currently in custody at the ministry’s Namanve facility and are undergoing legal proceedings, which could result in penalties such as deportation, fines, or blacklisting.
Mundeyi said, “These people come under the guise of preaching the gospel and hide behind other irregular activities. So acting on that intelligence, we swung into action and were able to apprehend them.”
He further noted that initial investigations showed mixed claims among the suspects, with some claiming they were lured to Uganda with false job offers, while others are believed to be linked to online fraud and similar crimes.
In a separate raid, authorities also apprehended 169 foreign nationals, 36 of them women, in a Bukoto apartment for lacking valid immigration documentation.
The group includes individuals from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
The ministry reiterated its resolve to enforce immigration laws and ensure all foreign residents operate within legal frameworks.
“We also ask landlords who offer accommodation facilities to these people who are clearly not Ugandans to endeavour to ask for at least the immigration status of foreign tenants before allowing them to settle in their premises,” he added.
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