In search of a Nigerian father

[Chika Okeke-Agulu]

I was approached recently by a man (Alexis) in search of his Nigerian father called ALEX  who lived in the Princeton area during the 1970s and 80s. The story below is the only information this man has about his father. He could not get more info (including especially Alex's last name) from his US mother about his father before she died. He has every possible research in the Princeton area archives, residential and business documents for clues about his father. I promised I would reach out to my networks to see if any useful information could come up. And the question is if anyone in this forum knows any Nigerian who lived in the Princeton area in those years. Alexis reached out to me noting that it was a "shot in the dark." I feel the same way sending this to this forum.

Here is all the information I have from Alexis:

Alex his father was born somewhere in Nigeria in 1941 and came to the US  with his 9 yr old son Allen in 1972.  He practiced psychology or psychiatry in Mercer County, likely Princeton, Nassau Street vicinity. He would have been in that area between 1980-1983. He went back to Nigeria in 1983 and came back one year later, apparently to bring back a son born (out of wedlock) to him. That son is Alexis. Alex's other children are named Kadre, Freddrick, Marcus and Christina, all born while Alex was in the US with his Nigerian wife. Alexis does not know what his father's relationship with Princeton University is, but believes that he was somehow affiliated with it.  Also, the other son, Allen, who would have been born around 1963 in Nigeria, stayed back in the US after his father returned to Nigeria with the rest of his family.

[OLAYINKA AGBETUYI]

Why did Alexis not return to Nigeria with the rest of the family? 

Did he not ask his father about his real mother, who could supply the details about his father?

In whose last name was he brought into the US?

OAA

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

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[Chika Okeke-Agulu]

Alexis was born in the US in 1983. His father came back from Nigeria to take him but failed. He has his mother's last name (Hyman). His mother did not give any information about his father. All he has is his father's first name; that he had a psychology practice in the Princeton area. He was told that his father was involved in politics in Nigeria. 

[OLAYINKA AGBETUYI]

Now we have a different story.  The first story appeared to show Alexis as born in Nigeria and that his father returned to Nigeria to bring him to America to live with him then returned to Nigeria with his siblings without him.

This is indeed a long shot in the dark and I doubt it will be possible to trace his father.  I am sure there are numerous such cases of Nigerians fathering a child abroad while hustling and needing a roof over their head and returning home with a view to putting their past behind them ( I know it is unfair on the child left behind without the father.)  

This case is complicated by the fact the father had other children in the US whom he took home with him. So this appears to be a mutually unplanned conception which only the mother decided to keep at her own discretion ( 'its her body' contemporary activists would say today, but the child is now a separate body with his own individual yearnings.)  Tough luck!

There was a celebrated case similar to that in London in the early 90s of the Fashanu footballing stars, Justin and John ( I ran into the latter, or rather he barged into me grinning hoping I would recognise him in a dept store while I was on holiday from the US. I did and exchanged pleasantries.)  John went back to Nigeria and sought out his father who was glad to see his football star son.  Having his father's last name helped a lot in the search.

Best of luck to Alexis in his continued search.

OAA

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

-------- Original message --------

From: Chika Okeke-Agulu <okeke...@gmail.com>

Date: 06/02/2021 13:42 (GMT+00:00)

To: USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - In search of a Nigerian father

Alexis was born in the US in 1983. His father came back from Nigeria to take him but failed. He has his mother's last name (Hyman). His mother did not give any information about his father. All he has is his father's first name; that he had a psychology practice in the Princeton area. He was told that his father was involved in politics in Nigeria. 

On Friday, February 5, 2021 at 7:14:33 PM UTC-5 yagb...@hotmail.com wrote:

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/cc98bd50-c900-4f17-9767-bad87feded88n%40googlegroups.com.