A Nigerian man has been arrested in Bloemfontein, South Africa, after police and immigration officials reportedly discovered 28 suspected undocumented migrants at a guesthouse linked to him.
According to reports, the suspect is the husband of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Executive Mayor Lulama Titi-Odili. The joint operation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and immigration authorities was confirmed by Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, who said the migrants had been concealed at the property for about seven days.
“It’s a guesthouse where we had about 28 to 29 people that were arrested because they were hiding in this place,” the premier said, adding that food was delivered to those inside while they remained hidden.
Investigators also reportedly recovered a Nigerian passport, a South African identity document and the death certificate of a deceased South African woman from the suspect. Authorities are investigating whether the documents are linked to identity fraud or other offences.
The migrants, believed to be mainly Ethiopian and Nigerian nationals, are being processed by the Department of Home Affairs to verify their immigration status. As of Tuesday, neither Titi-Odili nor her office had commented on the arrest, while investigations remain ongoing.
