“Thomas”, An International Law Researcher, Born By A Nigerian Soldier Searches Frantically To Locate His Nigerian Father.

Thomas.

My name is Thomas. I am searching for my biological father, and I hope that someone, somewhere, can help me find him.

I was born on June 10, 1994, at St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Congo Town, Monrovia, Liberia. My father, whose name is Gambo, gave me my name. According to my mother, whom I called “Mama,” my father was originally from Jaji Military Cantonment in Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria. She told me that he had two daughters before coming to Liberia, and that I am his first son.

My father was assigned to work around Roberts International Airport, commonly known as “Smell No Taste.” My parents met at the Edward Binyah Kesselly (EBK) Barracks in Schiefflin, Margibi County, near Monrovia.

Before my father left Liberia, my mother fled with me to Monrovia. She had been misled by people who told her that my father intended to take us to Nigeria for ritual sacrifice. However, I later learned from some retired Liberian soldiers who knew my father that, on the night before his departure, he searched desperately for me. They said he went from place to place, asking about me, and was in tears—but my mother had already taken me away.

Afterward, my mother took me to Guinea. When the war ended, she was unable to take me to her marital home because I was considered a “bastard ECOMOG child.” As a result, she gave me to an elderly man in a village who had no children of his own. I grew up with him, learning how to hunt and live a traditional village life.

Later, I was fortunate to receive an education through the support of an NGO. One evening, while I was returning from the farm with the old man, a car stopped to buy palm wine from us. The people in the car noticed me, took an interest in me, and asked the old man if they could take me to the city to be educated. That moment changed my life.

Today, my mother has passed away, and the old man who raised me is also no longer alive. Despite everything, I have persevered.

I am now an International Law researcher at Xiamen University School of Law in the People’s Republic of China, specializing in international law. I also hold a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from African Methodist Episcopal Zion University.

Even with all I have achieved, there remains a deep part of me that longs to know my father. I am sharing my story in the hope that someone may recognize these details and help reconnect me with him.