"The Enemies Within" Part 1

Yomi Adenuga.
Sep 13
5 min read

Updated: Sep 16

Welcome to 9ja Diaspora File Blog.

Names and identifying details have been changed to respect the privacy of individuals.

When the axe came into the forest, the trees said, “The handle is one of us.” This line speaks to betrayal from within, among Nigerian diaspora and how harm can sometimes come from those we trust or consider to be part of our group. It is the Internal betrayal those aiding an oppressor from within. It is part of the complicity or naïveté in recognizing danger and how systems of power can use familiar or trusted elements to undermine the very group they’re hurting.

I will delve into some of the Nigerian underground cult, responsible for deaths and afflictions of Nigerians in Europe especially in The Netherlands. I'll share my own experiences, surviving assassination attempts, figuring out how these groups operate, their modus operandi and some tips on steering clear. Life's not a dress rehearsal. Learn from those of us who've already tripped over the pitfalls.

One of the things that became clear to me as I started sifting through how a judicial system at the seat of the capital of the International Human Right Court of the world. Human right violations and violations of due process of the law appear to exist within the system. My experiences opened my eyes to how some of our people have infiltrate and twist the system, fuelled by jealousy, grudges, or just straight-up envy of fellow Nigerians.

So, I set out to blow graphite onto that fingerprint. To be able to trace and connect the dots especially on those cases that I have experienced and observed, involving Nigerians in The Netherlands. It became clear to me that, the trigger was not that the Dutch judicial system targeted Nigerians but Nigerians themselves.

Most of the issue of injustice towards Nigerians in The Netherlands could be traced back to the source and their community. My personal experience with law gave me a full insight into how this occurs. The court and the system have been seriously infiltrated and used as a tool of oppression by some certain Nigerians through envy and jealousy of each other.

Take for instance, the case study into Kenneth Ehigiene, Author of the Book - "Foregone Conclusion" A Real-Life Thriller) and my personal encounters with the law” triggers my curiosity to dig deeper into this area of injustice on Nigerians in The Netherlands. Kenneth case ended as a mistaken identity.

Kenneth Ehigiene recounts his book about his harrowing experience of being wrongly incarcerated by two powerful European legal systems (Germany and the Netherlands).

He endured months in isolation, denial of a fair trial, and outright dismissal of photographic evidence proving his innocence.

Throughout, authorities ignored nearly every indication of his innocence and treated him as a dangerous suspect perhaps motivated by racial profiling and sensational assumptions.

Ehigiene found himself entangled in an elaborate “German safari-hunt” and a sort of “Dutch inquisition,” becoming linked to the fate of a German teenage girl whose case had become a bestseller in Germany.

Despite tremendous odds, Kenneth, out of nowhere, got released from a max-security prison leaving everyone from jailers to fellow inmates stunned.

The drama didn't stop recently, he got kicked out of his business spot in Ganzenhoef, Amsterdam (in the Bijlmer area). His shop's been hit by armed robbers’ multiple times. The real kicker? These messes often stem from inside the Nigerian community.

Activism is in my DNA; it runs in my blood. My late mom was a trailblazer for women's rights advocacy in Nigeria, drawing inspiration from the iconic Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (yep, Fela Kuti's mom). Funmilayo was a powerhouse, pushing for justice and better governance, even when it got her persecuted. Both women hailed from Abeokuta, so that fire runs deep. Fela also was an advocate against injustice and constantly persecuted for his stance against poor governance in Nigeria till his death.

My own activism kicked off in the US, where I recruited members and coordinated the Rainbow Coalition in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.'s group. We worked to bridge divides across race and culture, fighting for civil rights and fairness. It was a local organization in the 1990s that sought to bridge racial, economic, and cultural barriers within the community to support progressive electoral campaigns. Additionally, the term "Rainbow Coalition" also refers to the original multiracial, working-class alliance formed in Chicago in 1969 by Fred Hampton's Black Panther Party.

When I arrived in The Netherlands on my exile from the military juntas in Nigeria, I arrived in the middle of the saga of Ken Saro Wiwa. I was informed by some civil right and environmental protection movement groups in Amsterdam to join their camp on the campaign for his release by the then military government in Nigeria that I escaped from. Ken Saro Wiwa has been detained in Nigeria facing death penalty. I couldn’t hesitate to jump on board with the protest and campaigns to secure his release and save Kens life. I hit the streets in Amsterdam and Den Haag in protests, pushing for his freedom and shining a light on Ogoniland's suffering. Saro-Wiwa was a writer, TV producer, and businessman. He became a fierce critic of the Nigerian government and multinational oil companies, especially Shell, for their role in environmental degradation and exploitation of Ogoniland (Niger Delta). In 1990, he co-founded MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) He accused the Nigerian state and Shell of destroying Ogoni land through reckless oil extraction. He demanded fair compensation, environmental protection, and political rights for the Ogoni people. He was an anti-government activist on petroleum issues, especially oil exploitation in Ogoniland. Sadly, he was murdered at the end.

It got media buzz. I did tons of interviews, spoke to the Tweede Kamer (that's the Dutch Parliament) in The Hague, and even met the then Prime Minister Wim Kok one on one back then. He promised to pressure Nigeria's junta. All that spotlight painted a target on my back, bringing threats and backlash my way. I believe this triggers my exposure to be targeted in The Netherlands.

Here in The Netherlands, some Nigerians pretend they're working for the interest of the Dutch government but pulling off horrific stuff, like ritual killings and targeting vulnerable folks from our community.

My motivation for joining this campaign stems from following reasons; my nature as a civil right activist. Second, the right and freedom guaranteed in The Netherlands without retributions. I never for once consider to be targeted for prosecutions or retributions afterwards. Thirdly, it was against the same military government regime that pursued me into exile.

I've always fought for justice because I believe in the freedoms this country, The Netherlands promises. I never thought speaking up would turn me into a mark but here I am, still committed to exposing this mess and helping others dodge the traps.

It's very dangerous, however, to have powerful and active enemies working against you and not even be aware that you have those enemies.

I will spill more in my next post, including real strategies for staying safe and navigating this chaos.

Betrayal and unfairness are ugly truths in the Nigerian diaspora, but we don't have to let them win. By paying attention to the stories of those who've been there and staying sharp and alert. Stick around for my next post. More insights are coming. Share this if it resonates with you, and let's follow each other. Together, we can flip the coin on betrayal and injustice.

As VDM says: “Don’t learn the hard way.”

DISCLAIMER: