Award winning journalist ,David Hundeyin took to Twitter to share his ordeal after being denied entry into the country.
A Nigerian ournalist was detained for more than 10 hours at Robert Mugabe International Airport afterwhich he was deported for failing to acquire a visa to visit Zimbabwe.
Award winning journalist ,David Hundeyin took to Twitter to share his ordeal after being denied entry into the country.
He recounted being detained in a “smelly” room for nearly 7 hours.
Hundeyin, who did not reveal the reasons for his travel said although he was travelling from a visa free zone, authorities demanded a visa because of his nationality.
“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 was processed for removal from their country and locked in a tiny room, but I have heard nothing from anyone for several hours,” he said while in detention.
The journalist was deported alongside an unidentified Ugandan lady, who was also travelling from a visa free country.
“Alongside a lady from Uganda (also a visa-free country), I have been locked in a room with no windows or toilet, plus a bottle of pee on the floor,” he lamented.
“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.”
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
He vowed not to visit the country again.
“They appear to have forgotten that they have people in detention here.
I am ready to hop on my flight and never come back to Zimbabwe for the rest of my life,” Hundeyin said.
After nearly 10 hours in detention, he was allowed to relieve himself.
“I’ve been allowed to use the loo for the first time in 10 hours, and I’ve been assured that I will be allowed to catch my exit flight.”
Following a long wait and alleged abuse at the hands of authorities, he was deported.
“Feel very helpless in all this,” he wrote.
Information secretary Nick Mangwana apologised for the journalist’s treatment but insisted that Hundeyin should have acquired a visa before traveling to Zimbabwe.
According to authorities, the journalist was traveling on Ghanaian Refuge papers.
“Those need a Visa before one departs their country of Asylum,” Mangwana said on Twitter.
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