Them born me for 1948, for one small village wey dey southwest of Nigeria. Around that time, my uncle wey im name na Moustapha and my senior brother wey im name na Wahabi, baptize and become Jehovah Witness. My papa die when I dey nine years and e really pain me well-well. But my brother tell me say we fit see our papa again when Jehovah bring people wey don die, back to life. This one make my mind come down and move me to start study Bible. I baptize for 1963. Later, my three other brothers baptize.

For 1965, I go de stay with one of my senior brother for Lagos, wey im name na Wilson. And I happy to stay with the regular pioneers wey dey Igbobi Congregation. The way them de happy make me start to pioneer for January 1968.

One brother wey de serve for Bethel that time, wey im name na Albert Olugbebi, arrange one special meeting with us wey dey young, and tell us say them need special pioneer for north part of Nigeria. I remember how Brother Olugbebi use all im mind tell us say: “Una dey young, and una fit use una time and power for Jehovah. Plenty work dey for una, for north!” Because I really want be like prophet Isaiah, and go anywhere  wey Jehovah want make I go, I fill form to be special pioneer.—Isa. 6:8.

For May 1968, them make me special pioneer and send me go one city wey them de call Kano, for north part of Nigeria. This one happen when them de fight Biafran War (1967-1970). This war kill many people and many people suffer for North. Later, the war continue for the east part of Nigeria. One brother try to tell me say make I no go, because e de fear say them fit kill me. But I tell-am say; “Thank you as you de think about me, and as you no want make bad thing happen to me. But, if Jehovah want make I go Kano, I trust say e go dey with me.”

We no happy when we see the way war scatter things for Kano. Sometimes when we de preach, we de see dead body for street. Even though say plenty congregation dey Kano before, many of the brothers and sisters don run comot from there because of the war. The brothers and sisters wey remain no reach 15 publishers and them de fear. Life don even tire them. But them happy well-well when them see say six of us wey be special pioneers come serve for there. We encourage them and this one make them happy. We help them start congregation meeting and them start to preach again. Them start to give their field service report and order for our book them from branch office.

Six of us wey them send as special pioneers start to learn Hausa language. Many people listen to us when we preach to them for their language. But people for the main religion for Kano, no happy say we de preach, so we start to dey careful. One time wey me and one brother de preach, one man use knife pursue us. We happy say e no catch us. Even though say condition for Kano really bad that time, Jehovah ‘protect us’ and the number of publishers start to grow. (Ps. 4:8) Today, e pass 500 publishers wey dey 11 congregations for Kano.

For August 1968, after I don serve as special pioneer for sometime for Kano, them send me  and two other special pioneers go Niamey wey be the capital of Niger. When we reach there, we see say Niger na one of the country wey hot pass for the whole world. So, we need to learn how to preach for this kind hot area and learn French, wey be the language wey the people de speak. Even though say e no easy, we trust Jehovah and start to preach for the city, even though say publishers for there no plenty. E no too tey, wey plenty people for Niamey city get the book wey we de use study Bible that time, wey the tittle na, The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. Some people de even come look for us to get their own.

Later, we see say government for the area no like Jehovah Witness people. For July 1969, we happy to do our first circuit assembly for the country and we be 20 people wey go the assembly. We happy say two people baptize for the assembly. But, for the first day wey we de do the assembly, police come stop the program. Them carry all the special pioneers and the circuit overseer go police station. After them ask us many questions, them tell us to come back the next day. As we see say things fit no waka well the next day, we arrange to give baptism talk for one person house, and go baptize the people for one river, wey people no go quick see us.

After some weeks, government tell six of us wey be special pioneers say make we comot from their country. Them give us two days to pack comot and na we go arrange how we go take travel. We obey government and go back to our branch office for Nigeria. Then, branch office send us go another place.

Them send me go one village for Nigeria wey them de call Orisunbare. I enjoy preaching well-well with the publishers for there. But after six months, branch office tell me say, make I go back to Niger. I first surprise when them tell me and I fear small, but e de hungry me to see the brothers for Niger again!

I go back to Niamey. The next day after I reach there, one man from Nigeria wey de do business for Niger, notice say I be Jehovah Witness and e start to ask me questions from Bible. Na so I take start to study Bible with-am. The man baptize after e don stop to de smoke cigar and stop to over drink. I happy say I join brothers and sisters preach for different-different part of Niger and see how people become Jehovah Witness as time de go. When I first reach Niger, na 31 publishers dey the country, but when I de comot, them don reach 69.

For December 1977, I go back to Nigeria for training. For the end of the training, Brother Malcolm Vigo wey be Branch Committee coordinator that time, tell me say make I read one letter wey Sierra Leone branch write to them. The brothers  for there de look for one pioneer brother wey never marry and wey sabi speak English and French, so that e go fit serve as circuit overseer for Guinea. Brother Vigo tell me say them de train me so that I go fit do the work. E explain to me well-well say the work no go easy. Then e tell me say: “Think about-am well before you decide.” At once I just tell-am say, “Since na Jehovah de send me, I go go.”

I travel go Sierra Leone and I meet brothers for branch office. One Branch Committee member tell me say: “We no know how things be for our brothers and sisters for Guinea.” Even though say the branch office for Sierra Leone de take care of the preaching work for Guinea, them no fit talk with the brothers and sisters for there because war dey the country. Them don try plenty times to send person from branch office make e go visit the brothers and sisters for Guinea, but them no succeed. So, them say make I travel go Conakry wey be capital of Guinea, so that their government go give me right to stay for the country.

When I reach Conakry, I go Nigerian embassy and I meet the ambassador. I tell-am say I go like preach for Guinea. E tell me say make I no stay there because them fit arrest me or even kill me. Then e tell me say: “Go back to Nigeria and preach for there.” But I answer-am say, “I don decide to stay.” So, e write letter to Minister for Interior for Guinea say make e help me, and the Minister help me.

I no waste time to go back to branch office for Sierra Leone and tell them say the minister don gree say make I stay for Guinea. The brothers happy well-well when them hear this one, because e show say Jehovah don bless the journey.

From 1978 to 1989, I serve as circuit overseer for Guinea and Sierra Leone, and I serve as substitute circuit overseer for Liberia. When I just start, I sick many times. Sometimes, this one de happen when I dey far from town or hospital. But the brothers always do their best to carry me go hospital.

One time, I sick well-well. I get malaria and plenty worm for inside my belle. After I well, I hear say the brothers be de think say I go die, so them be don de arrange how them go take burry me! Even though say plenty things happen wey make life no easy for me, e no ever come my mind to stop the work wey Jehovah organization give me. And I dey sure say na only Jehovah fit really protect us, because even if we die, e go fit bring us back to life.

For 1988, I meet one sister wey de pioneer, wey love Jehovah well-well and e dey humble, im name na Dorcas. We marry and e join me for circuit work. My wife support me for the circuit work and e ready to do anything for Jehovah. To go visit congregation, two of us de trek go the territory and carry our bag for head. Sometimes, we de waka reach 25 kilometers (15 mi). For congregations wey far well-well, we de use anything wey  fit carry us reach there. And sometime, the road wey we de pass de bad well-well.

My wife really get strong mind. For example, sometimes, we de cross river wey get plenty crocodile inside. One time, we travel for five days and as we de travel, we use canoe cross one river because the bridge don break. When my wife want comot from the canoe, e fall inside the water wey deep well-well. We no know how to swim and plenty crocodile dey inside the river. But we happy say some young people wey sabi swim jump enter the water and save-am. This thing wey happen really give us bad dream for some time, but this one no make us stop our circuit work.

For 1992, we surprise to see say my wife don get belle. We get to decide whether we go continue to be special pioneer or we go stop. We tell ourself say, “Jehovah don give us gift!” So, we decide say we go call our daughter Jahgift, wey mean: “Gift from Jah.” Four years after we born Jahgift, we born im brother wey im name na Eric. We don see say the two of them na really gift from Jehovah. Jahgift serve for some time for remote translation office for Conakry and Eric na ministerial servant.

Even though say my wife stop special pioneer work, e continue to be regular pioneer as e de care for our children. With Jehovah help, I continue to be special pioneer. After our children don grow, my wife become special pioneer again. Now, two of us de serve as field missionaries for Conakry.

I de always go where Jehovah carry me go. Many times, we don see how Jehovah bless and protect us. Because we trust Jehovah, e don help us run from plenty problem and worry-worry wey people for this world de suffer, because them put their trust for money and property. Me and my wife don learn say na Jehovah de really protect person. (1 Chron. 16:35) I dey sure say Jehovah go protect all the people wey trust-am.—1 Sam. 25:29.