Dele Momodu recounts how 18 phones nearly got him detained in UK

Veteran journalist and media entrepreneur, Dele Momodu, has recounted how he was nearly detained at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom after authorities found 18 mobile phones in his luggage.

Momodu shared the experience while discussing his career, relationships and the importance of networking, saying airport officials questioned him about why he was travelling with so many phones.

He said he was stopped while travelling to South Africa and that security personnel were called after the phones were discovered.

According to him, officials asked what he did for a living, and he identified himself as a journalist. When they requested proof, Momodu said he used his iPad to show some of the prominent people he had interviewed and interacted with.

“I was going to South Africa and then they just called special force to come put all the phones in a tray. They were asking me, ‘What do you do for a living?’ I said, ‘I’m a journalist.’ ‘Is that why you are carrying 18 phones?’” he recounted.

Momodu said he then showed them evidence of his work, including a profile featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II and former United States President Bill Clinton.

“I know how to drop names very well. People don’t know that name-dropping is part of the media. ‘Who do you know? Who have you interviewed? Who have you met?’ Then I just opened the iPad and the first person I pressed was Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II,” he said.

He said the officers subsequently directed him to customs, where he was again questioned about the phones.

“When we got to customs, the same ritual again. ‘What do you do?’ ‘I’m a journalist.’ ‘Can you show us?’ I brought out my coin again,” Momodu said.

He explained that the authorities considered the 18 phones to be a commercial quantity but eventually allowed him to proceed, although the incident nearly caused him to miss his flight.

Momodu said the experience has since influenced the number of phones he travels with, joking that he has reduced them from 18 to six.

“So that’s why we’ve reduced now… number of phones? Yes. To six. It’s just six,” he said.

The veteran journalist also used the experience to emphasise the importance of building relationships, maintaining consistency and learning from people who inspire you.

“You must ask people who inspire you. Why? Yeah. You must ask people who inspire you. And you must be consistent. You must be serious about life,” he said.

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