Student found sleeping in abandoned house in north Cyprus continue to remain in detention

A Nigerian woman who was found sleeping in an abandoned house in Gönyeli, north Cyprus and determined to have been residing illegally in the country for more than three years has been ordered to remain in police custody.

The individual identified only as NDN, was brought before the court again on Tuesday December 30 as part of the ongoing investigation.

Testifying in court, the police stated that at around 2:30 a.m. on 27 December 2025, officers from the Lefkosia Police Directorate carried out a check at an abandoned house on Ulus Street in Gönyeli, which had its doors and windows left open. During the inspection, the suspect was found asleep in an upstairs bedroom of the building.

An immigration check conducted using the suspect’s passport revealed that she had been residing in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus without permission since 29 November 2021, amounting to a total of 1,489 days of illegal residence. She was arrested at the scene.

Police informed the court that the investigation into the matter is ongoing and that deportation procedures have been initiated but have not yet been completed. Citing the need for additional time to finalize these processes, authorities requested an extension of the suspect’s detention.

After evaluating the testimony, the judge ruled that the suspect should remain in police custody for an additional seven days to ensure the investigation is conducted properly.