Journalist David Hundeyin speaks after ‘7-hour detention’ in Zimbabwe

Journalist David Hundeyin has confirmed his release after he was detained on landing in Zimbabwe on Wednesday.

He tweeted on Thursday morning following reports he was detained while seeking asylum in Ghana.

“Landed. Safe and well. I was untouched and unharmed. Battery is nearly dead. Will update when I reach my secondary destination. Thanks for the immense pressure and support,” he wrote.

LANDED. SAFE AND WELL. I WAS UNTOUCHED AND UNHARMED. BATTERY IS NEARLY DEAD. WILL UPDATE WHEN I REACH MY SECONDARY DESTINATION.

THANKS FOR THE IMMENSE PRESSURE AND SUPPORT???????? PIC.TWITTER.COM/NHWKURK3YV

— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) July 20, 2023
On Wednesday, the journalist said in a tweet: “I landed in Zimbabwe earlier today, and I have been detained at Harare Airport inside a smelly locked room for nearly 7 hours.

“They said that despite using the travel document of a country with a visa-free relationship, my nationality is still Nigerian, and thus, I need a visa.”

I LANDED IN ZIMBABWE EARLIER TODAY, AND I HAVE BEEN DETAINED AT HARARE AIRPORT INSIDE A SMELLY LOCKED ROOM FOR NEARLY 7 HOURS.

THEY SAID THAT DESPITE USING THE TRAVEL DOCUMENT OF A COUNTRY WITH A VISA-FREE RELATIONSHIP, MY NATIONALITY IS STILL NIGERIAN, AND THUS, I NEED A VISA.

Giving his side of the story, Nick Mangwana, Zimbabwe’s permanent secretary in the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Service noted that Hundeyin, while carrying a Nigerian passport, sought asylum in Ghana and travelled to Zimbabwe with same papers.

Mangwana added that the journalist was therefore “promptly arrested, detained and deported.”

Mangwana tweeted, “It seems David Hundeyin while carrying a Nigerian Passport, he is seeking asylum in Ghana and those are the papers he travelled with. Unfortunately for him, Ghanaians are not allowed in Zimbabwe without a VISA and he was promptly arrested, detained and deported.

“I am sorry that this journalist found himself in this situation. That said, we do have Immigration laws in our country that are obligatory to all prospective entrants, and no profession is immune to them. If someone’s travel document is such that they need a Visa, that law applies to everyone including ‘an award-winning journalist’. Our laws are blind to social stations or attended achievements.”

He added, “David came with Ghanaian Refuge papers claiming he was a Nigerian who was a refugee from his home country. His country of Asylum is Ghana after claiming to be running away from persecution in Nigeria. People in this category certainly need Visas to enter Zimbabwe. He wasn’t coming in to work as a journalist. He said he was just coming to visit but without getting a Visa in Ghana first. Other parts of his story were also unsatisfactory to the immigration authorities. He was considered not a candidate for entry into Zimbabwe.”