Nigerian journalist details how authorities refused him entry into Zimbabwe with Ghanaian refugee passport

An investigative journalist and filmmaker from Nigeria who attempted entering Zimbabwe without a visa has prompted an online diplomatic conversation on Twitter after he was turned away.

David Hundeyin first made a post on Twitter at 7:32PM on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, complaining about how he had been detained for 7 hours after he landed at the Harare Airport although he had a refugee passport from Ghana to show.

The journalist, in a series of tweets, also detailed how he was locked up “inside a smelly locked room for nearly 7 hours” and was only allowed to use the washroom after 10 hours.

He further explained that although he travelled with a Ghana refugee passport, he was not allowed to enter the country without a visa.

“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,” he tweeted.

David Hundeyin further detailed exactly what happened with him and why he had been detained.

This follows a tweet by the Zimbabwe Permanent Secretary in the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Service; Nick Manwana, on some of the details about why he had been detained for that long.

In his explanation, David said that he had no idea he needed a visa to travel to Zimbabwe although he had a refugee passport from Ghana, which should have allowed him a visa-free entry into the country.

He added that it was only in Zimbabwe that he had ever been refused entry with that passport in the last two years, when he had used it to visit many countries around the world.

“I wasn't aware that it is standard operating procedure in Zimbabwe for the country's minister of information to tweet the asylum status of a foreigner, but since you've resorted to telling half truths, perhaps you should mention to your audience that I came into Zimbabwe with this valid Ghanaian refugee passport, which I have used to travel extensively over the world for 2 years.

“I'm sure you saw the valid UK Visa inside it. I'm also sure that you saw the numerous entry and exit stamps inside it belonging to multiple jurisdictions inside and outside Africa. Only in Zimbabwe have I EVER had an issue travelling with this document.

“You might also want to share with your audience that I put a call through to the Zimbabwean embassy in Accra before I travelled, to confirm that I did not need a visa, and that J was expressly advised that as long as the airline was happy to recognise the travel document, I would have no problem coming into Zimbabwe visa-free,” he tweeted.

Being the journalist he is, a number of people, after seeing the series of tweets by David Hundeyin, prompted authorities in Zimbabwe, from which Nick Mangwana, the Permanent Secretary in the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Service responded to one of them.

In the tweet, Nick wrote that although the journalist had documents showing he was from Ghana as a refugee, he was Nigerian and as such, he needed a visa to enter their country.

“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,” he said in the first of his reactions to a Twitter user’s message.

The Zimbabwean authority further explained in other replies that David Hundeyin was also not fully honest with officials.

While refraining from confirming whether or not they detained the journalist for hours, Nick Mangwana said, in response to a question in that respect, that “That’s his side of the story.”

The journalist tweeted again that he eventually got released and safely returned home, although it is unclear whether that is in Ghana or in Nigeria.

You can follow the full details of his interactions on Twitter below:

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. pic.twitter.com/rmIsofArp1

— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) July 19, 2023

No one appears to be in charge of anything, and even though my return flight to Addis has been rescheduled for tonight, I am still locked in this room, and I risk missing my flight.

They appear to have forgotten that they have people in detention here. pic.twitter.com/dYLlW1ap0P

— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) July 19, 2023

I wasn't aware that it is standard operating procedure in Zimbabwe for the country's minister of information to tweet the asylum status of a foreigner, but since you've resorted to telling half truths, perhaps you should mention to your audience that I came into Zimbabwe with… https://t.co/vF5lUkNaUx pic.twitter.com/upArdnR2cK

— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) July 20, 2023