‘I had 18 phones in my bag’ — Dele Momodu recalls near detention at UK airport

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Momodu

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Veteran Nigerian journalist and publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu, has recounted how he was almost detained by security officials at London’s Heathrow Airport after 18 phones were found in his bag.

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Momodu shared the experience in a video that has gone viral on social media, where he explained how the unusual number of phones prompted airport officials to question him about his profession.

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According to the journalist, the incident happened while he was travelling to South Africa.

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He said security officials stopped him after discovering the phones and called in special forces.

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“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.”

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Dele Momodu said the officials placed the phones in a tray and questioned him about what he did for a living.

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“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.

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Momodu said he relied on his connections with prominent personalities to establish his identity as a journalist.

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He explained that he opened his contacts and dialled the numbers of the late Queen Elizabeth II and former United States President Bill Clinton.

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“People don’t know that name-dropping is part of media. Who do you know? Who have you interviewed? Who have you met?”

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“I just opened the iPad and the first number I dialed was Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and former US President Bill Clinton.

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“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.”

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