Publisher of Ovation International Magazine, Dele Momodu, has recounted his emotional escape from Nigeria during the military regime of late Head of State Sani Abacha.
Speaking during an appearance on a programme hosted by Morayo Afolabi-Brown on Wednesday, Momodu narrated how he fled the country through the Seme border into the Benin Republic amid fears of arrest by security operatives.
According to him, the experience remains one of the most painful moments of his life, especially because he had to leave behind his wife and infant son without knowing if he would ever return alive.
“The morning I was leaving, my first son was less than one year old. He was just lying beside my wife and I was looking at this innocent child and I was crying,” Momodu said.
He revealed that he crossed into Cotonou on foot in the early hours of the morning, uncertain about his future and survival.
“I travelled by foot through the Seme border into Cotonou very early in the morning,” he stated.
Momodu disclosed that even after arriving in the Benin Republic, fear and uncertainty continued to overwhelm him as he reflected on the risks ahead.
“When I got to Cotonou, I started crying again because I wasn’t sure, where am I going? When will I get there? Will I get there? When will I come back? Will I come alive?” he recalled.
“I had this stream of consciousness, as we put it in literature, and it was just going through my mind.”
The veteran journalist explained that his years in exile between 1995 and 1998 later became a defining chapter in his life and career.
According to him, the experience eventually led to the establishment of Ovation magazine and shaped his journey in public life.
“If I had not gone on that journey, there will be no Ovation today,” he said.
Momodu, who studied Yoruba and later obtained a master’s degree in English Literature from Obafemi Awolowo University, also reflected on Nigeria’s democratic struggle and his refusal to join the ruling APC despite sharing similar exile experiences with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I was in exile from 1995 to 1998 and I know what we went through. But I refused to join APC only for one reason, we must maintain that democracy which we suffered for,” he stated.
Momodu further revealed that hardship was not new to him, noting that he lost his father at the age of 13 and survived through menial jobs and teaching before eventually rising to national prominence.
“That’s how I rose to where I am today,” he added.
The media entrepreneur fled Nigeria on July 22, 1995, after receiving information that security operatives were allegedly searching for him.
He was reportedly accused of being linked to Radio Freedom, an underground station that later evolved into Radio Kudirat, which was known for its opposition broadcasts against the Abacha military government.
