Nigeria Abroad
One of former President Charles Taylor’s most sturdy and devoted butlers who traveled with him in exile to Nigeria provided substantive information regarding Taylor’s last days in exile in Nigeria, which ended as a more breathtaking and sad catastrophe. The butler who asked not to be named currently resides in the State of Rhode Island, US.
He revealed that Taylor was excitedly received by then Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and was later taken to Calabar, capital of Nigeria’s Cross River State, on a hilltop villa guarded by over 50 Nigerian security officers.
Cross River State Governor Donald Duke who enthusiastically welcomed Taylor to Calabar told him to feel at home. Taylor was compelled to disclose all his wealth to the Nigerian government for safety and political protection.
The butler further stated that the actual wealth Taylor traveled with included 20 SUVs; 80 black jumbo-sized suitcases—60 of which contained $46 million in cash; 1,600 gold karats; 2,500 pieces of diamond, and 12 silver pistols guns.
The butler said: “Taylor entrusted me with all these valuables, so I knew much about everything in those suitcases including his piled-up cash. He asked me to prepare a package of $8 million along with 50 pieces of diamonds for then Nigerian President Obasanjo when he visited Taylor at his hilltop villa in Calabar.”
“There were 100 security officers who guarded our villa, and each was paid $150 every Saturday morning as a token of Taylor’s deep appreciation. The security were given some gold as well. This was different from the normal tips received from Taylor by other Nigerian government officials who visited regularly especially on Saturdays and holidays.”
The butler went on to say that from the moment Taylor set foot on Nigerian soil, he was bound to be exploited and/or robbed of all his wealth by Nigerians—which eventually came to fruition in his relatively short-lived exile life in the country.
He said when Taylor’s indictment was officially announced, the Nigerian government was under intense pressure to hand him over, so Taylor allegedly bribed Cross River’s Donald Duke with $6 million along with 200 pieces of diamond and 1 silver pistol, but that the governor betrayed Taylor, nonetheless. The governor, the butler claimed, later organized a fake route for Taylor to escape via Nigeria-Cameroon border and told the ex-president the coast was clear.
“We loaded all our valuables including the remaining millions in cash, diamonds, and gold onto our SUVs at 3am. Before we departed Calabar, one of the security officers hinted Taylor that 50 soldiers were being deployed on the route Taylor was poised to travel through for protection, as a safe passage out of Nigeria.”
But the butler claimed further: “The 50 soldiers were planted by Governor Duke. They ambushed Taylor and his fleet which happened when we were just 5 kilometers into the border town of Gamboru-Ngala.” About 50 soldiers, according to the butler, hijacked Taylor at gunpoint and took everything away including his millions, diamonds, gold, as well as the silver pistols.
“Nigerian police officers who escorted Taylor turned a blind eye to what was happening, as we were being robbed of everything. The officers ambushed us and took away the remaining SUVs including all the suitcases, and left a small plastic bag with Taylor’s personal effects in it.”
Taylor, he said, suddenly wept profusely and asked the security officers whether he could have a word with Governor Duke. The officers reportedly told him Duke’s phone was inaccessible as he was busy attending to official matters in Abuja with President Obasanjo.
“The officers later pushed Taylor into the SUVs with the rest of us—12 in number, including three Nigerian girls who were told to return to Nigeria for their safety. One of the security officers told the girls: ‘This man is now a fugitive and a killer, so go away, you stupid girls.’
“As soon as Taylor was dropped off at Gamboru-Ngala, another set of Nigerian security officers immediately arrested him and took him directly to Abuja after the hijacking group had left. We were later told by the escorting officers to quickly get on board another SUV back to Cross River State. Before then, we had been separated from Taylor and other security officers were awaiting our arrival in Cross River. Upon our arrival, the security officers seized all our remaining belongings. We were also told to leave Nigeria within 72 hours or risk being arrested for a war crime.
“Tears quickly ran down my cheeks, as all our belongings were being looted by the Nigerian security officers and nearby neighbors. A large group of Nigerians rushed into the villa, vandalized it and took away whatever they could lay their hands on while the security officers stood by watching in disbelief.”
The butler is pleading with President George Weah to retrieve Taylor’s wealth from Nigeria and share it with other poor Liberians in need, instead of it staying in Nigeria to create job opportunities for Nigerians.
“I am prepared to testify about Taylor’s wealth stolen by the Nigerian government.” he assured.
This story first appeared in Nigeria Abroad
