Veteran Nigerian journalist and publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu, has recounted how he was nearly detained by security officials at London’s Heathrow Airport after 18 mobile phones were found in his bag.
Momodu shared the experience in a video that has circulated widely on social media, explaining that the number of phones raised questions from airport officials about his profession.
The journalist said the incident occurred while he was travelling to South Africa.
According to him, security officials stopped him after discovering the phones and called in special forces.
“There was a time I was almost detained at Heathrow because I had 18 phones in my bag. They stopped me while I was going to South Africa.”
Momodu said the officials placed the phones in a tray before asking him about his occupation.
“I told them I’m a journalist. When they demanded proof, that time I used to carry an iPad, so I brought it out and of course, I know how to drop names very well,” he said.
He explained that he turned to his contacts with prominent figures as a way of demonstrating his identity as a journalist.
Momodu said he opened his contacts and dialled the numbers of the late Queen Elizabeth II and former United States President Bill Clinton.
“People don’t know that name-dropping is part of media. Who do you know? Who have you interviewed? Who have you met?”
“I just opened the iPad and the first number I dialed was Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and former US President Bill Clinton.
The journalist said the officials subsequently took him to Customs, where he was questioned again over the phones.
“They took me to Customs saying 18 phones is commercial quantities but I said they are all old phones and when we got to Customs the same ritual again. What do you do? I’m a journalist and I brought out my queen again and you know that the queen is the head of Customs in the UK, that was when they left us after we almost missed our flight.”