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Banana Island Belonged To My Father But The Government Stole It – Remi Adeleke
Remi who is now a filmmaker in the US made this claim while celebrating the US Independence day.
A Nigerian-American man, Remi Adeleke has narrated how the Nigerian government stole Banana Island, Lagos from his father.
Remi who is now a filmmaker in the US made this claim while celebrating the US Independence day on Twitter.
In his Twitter thread, Remi said his dad left Nigeria in his late teens to study in the UK. He said that after completing his education which included a Masters, his father moved to Nigeria where he hoped to use his expertise and wealth of experience to create a ‘World Trade Center/African Wall Street’. He stated that he lived a good life until 1987 when the Nigerian government ‘illegally took possession of his father’s assets’ including his man-made Island which he said is now known as ‘’Banana Island”.
He disclosed that his father msyteriously died while fighting to recover his properties. Remi said his family went from being wealthy to poor and that his mum had to move he and his brother to the U.S. where they got better education and opportunities for a better life.
He wrote:
My Dad left Nigeria in his late teens to be educated in the West
After completing his bachelors and Masters in the UK, he created multiple business in the West and generated more wealth than he could have ever imagined.
Dad brought all his talents and expertise back to Nigeria with the hopes of creating a World Trade Center/African Wall Street.
When I was born in Nigeria I was surrounded by wealth, servants, opulence and two loving parents who despite having it all, modeled the importance hard work, never being a victim and never being satisfied with mediocrity.
In 1987 the Nigerian government illegally and corruptly stole all of my dad’s assets, including his man made island that’s now worth billions and was renamed to Banana Island.
While fighting the Nigerian government in court, he mysteriously died weeks later.
We went from rich to poor over night.
Mom brought my brother and me to America
It wasn’t easy, as we literally started from the bottom in the Bronx
My brother and I applied what our parents instilled in us at an early age, and despite the plethora of mistakes I made, we both became very successful.
Without the opportunities America has afforded my family, I’d be nothing. Yeah, America isn’t perfect. We have our issues, just like every other country on the planet, but America is one of the handful of places in the world where you can start with nothing, put in the work, and end up at the top.
I love this country, and I’m not ashamed to say it. And the moment I feel otherwise, I’m gonna pack my stuff up, teach my kids a new language and seek life elsewhere.
With that said, #HappyIndependenceDay #4thofjuly