Remembering Godwin Ajala: The Only Nigerian Killed in 9/11 Attacks in US; How His American Dream Was Crushed

Remembering Godwin Ajala: The Only Nigerian Killed in 9/11 Attacks in US; How His American Dream Was Crushed

Godwin Ajala left Nigeria for the United States in search of greener pastures but he never knew he would be in a situation where he would be faced with the decision to sacrifice his life so others could leave. Well, he did just that during the 9/11 attacks in the North American country.

How it all started

Equipped with his goals and vision, the Nigerian man left his home country for the United States in 1995 to make life better for himself and his family.

Godwin Ajala
Godwin Ajala is a hero who saved many people's lives at the detriment of his own life. Photo credit: 5 Minutes for Mom, Fair Use Image
Source: UGC

Born on June 9, 1968, Ajala hailed from a small town in Ebonyi state, Black Past reports.

After doing poorly paid jobs in the US, Ajala eventually secured employment as security guard at the New York World Trade Center.

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His position entailed riding elevators, helping to secure the building and attending to small emergencies.

Dream of becoming a lawyer and bringing his family to the US

Ajala wanted to become a lawyer in the United States but his efforts didn't pay off as he failed the New York Bar Exam three times.

He also didn't achieve his dream of bringing his lovely family to the United States because 9/11 happened.

According to Face 2 Face Africa, Ajala's roommate, Christopher Onuoha, said the former worked from 6 am to 2 pm as a security guard before going home to study for the bar for six to eight hours every day.

9/11 happened

On September 11, 2001, an Islamist terrorist group, Al-Qaeda, launched a series of four coordinated attacks against the United States and the World Trade Center was their target.

Instead of running to save his own life like many would have done, Ajala helped to evacuate thousands of people from the building.

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Ajala, obviously a man with a heart of gold, held the door open for people running out, and repeatedly went back inside to guide more people out of the blazing structure.

He was said to have been exhausted after helping to guide many out of the attacked building. He reportedly first went into a coma and died the following Sunday.

Ajala is remembered as a US national hero. He is the only Nigerian that perished in the 9/11 attacks that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people and his name is published on the 9/11 memorial.

Nigerian man in the US Army turns conductor on American military jet

Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian man recreated an everyday Lagos commercial bus scenario using a US military jet.

The unidentified man who is in the US army turned a conductor on the jet in a dramatic form.

In the 20-second video, the man dressed in a military outfit roared, calling in potential passengers to come aboard with their change.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Tunde Ososanya avatar

Tunde Ososanya Tunde Ososanya, a former senior editor, is a graduate of Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. He's passionate about what he does and finds fulfilment in informing the people. Ososanya is the author of Later Tonight: a Collection of Short Stories.

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