RismadarVoice Reporters
September 15, 2026
Veteran Nigerian journalist and publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu, has recounted how he was nearly detained at London’s Heathrow Airport after security officials found 18 mobile phones in his luggage.
Momodu shared the experience in a video circulating on social media, saying the incident occurred while he was travelling to South Africa.
According to the journalist, airport security officers stopped him after discovering the phones and summoned additional security personnel to question him.
“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,” he said.
Momodu said the phones were placed in a tray while officials questioned him about his occupation.
He identified himself as a journalist but was asked to provide evidence to support his claim.
“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.
Explaining how he sought to establish his identity, Momodu said he opened his contacts and called the numbers of prominent personalities he had interacted with, including 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?” he said.
Momodu said the officials subsequently referred him to Customs after determining that having 18 phones could constitute a commercial quantity.
“They took me to Customs saying 18 phones is a commercial quantity, but I said they are all old phones,” he recalled.
According to him, the same line of questioning continued at Customs, where he again identified himself as a journalist and referred to his contact with Queen Elizabeth II.
He said the officials eventually allowed him to leave, but the prolonged checks nearly caused him to miss his flight.
“That was when they left us after we almost missed our flight,” Momodu said.
