In The Evil Forest: A Nigerian Activist And Musician Sings Of His Kidnapping
Performing for the Oba of Benin has practically been a day job for 'Ambassador' Osayomore Joseph, a living legend of Nigerian highlife music. The concerts are usually held in the expansive courtyard of the royal palace in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, former seat of the Benin Empire. While in honor of the king, Osayomore's shows were free and open to the public; his fans would pack the place while he blasted his timeless hits through massive walls of distorted speakers. Fans would show their love by "spraying" Osayomore with money, and, in return, he praised them on the microphone. He would take the extra "financial love" — equivalent to hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars— and go home satisfied. But, after his performance on October 3, 2017 marking a year since the coronation of the new Oba of Benin, Osayomore didn't make it home.
"Bullets started raining on the car. Luckily enough, I escaped, but my wife was hit by a bullet," Osayomore tells NPR. He was dragged from his car into the forest by seven men armed with AK-47s, his wife left behind, he says. While his wife was taken to the hospital, Osayomore's ordeal was just beginning —.)
