Journalist Behind Bawumia ‘Islamic Funding’ Propaganda Detained in Zimbabwe

A Nigerian Journalist David Hundeyin who announced news of alleged funding from an Islamic group in Nigeria for Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia Campaign is in trouble in Zimbabwe. 

The journalist started spreading false allegations that the campaign team of the Vice President has had some dealings with an Islamic group, named Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Nigeria, a claim that was dismissed.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Bawumia Campaign has no funding or any linkage with any Islamic group in Nigeria, or anywhere else,” the campaign team of Bawumia said

Days later, the Nigerian journalist was detained by Zimbabwean authorities and refused entry into Zimbabwe.

It was later disclosed he travels with a Ghanaian refugee passport although he is a Nigerian.

David Hundeyin who is an investigative journalist and filmmaker from Nigeria was said to have attempted entering Zimbabwe without a visa prompting an online trend.

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 to him and why he had been detained.

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 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 the 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.