| He came home from the
U.S 12 years ago. And his American wife and 2 kids have not
seen him since then
By Dipo Kehinde
Monday July 19, 2004
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Mr. & Mrs. Williams
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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A woman in the United States has told an heart breaking story
of how her Nigerian husband had vanished since he left for
Lagos 12 years ago, leaving her behind with his two children.
Scared that something terrible might have happened to Peter
Abiodun Williams, the wife who identified herself as Rosalind
Clark narrated in a letter how her husband had gone without
a trace, and the frustration the family had faced in the long
search.
What is more disturbing to the black American woman is that
her daughter sent a letter to the father’s home address
in Nigeria and the letter which was not opened, was sent back
to her with the words "PASSED AWAY" written boldly
on it.
Rosalind has been married to Williams for over 20 years and
the marriage is blessed with two children, 21-year-old Oluwabukola
Williams and Adedamola Williams, whose age was not stated.
She enclosed a copy of the last letter she received from her
husband, way back in 1992. And the unedited letter, which
started with Dear wife, reads in part:
"Good day to you, as par the weather condition of Atlanta.
How are you and the children? I hope all of you are in good
health.
"Kindly extend my sincere greetings to all good buddies
around… You know I’m too worried about you and
the children. Since I didn’t see any letter from you
for the past couple of months. I want you to understand my
feelings towards my children. You know I’ve never been
in this kind of situation that will keep me this long to see
my children. I miss them more than a word can say…
"Please write me and let me know the conditions of things
over there. You know my position that I am handicap to help,
but I will feel good to know that all of you are okay. I always
remember you and the kids in my daily prayers… How are
the kids doing with their schools?"
Williams went ahead to remind his wife that the day the letter
was written was his birthday, as he stated: "I don’t
have anything planned, but to look to Almighty father for
his miracle on me."
A passage in the letter actually showed that Williams had
come to Nigeria to fight a case.
He said: "I got a letter from the lawyer asking for money.
There is nothing I can do from here. I pray to God to help
me, because all so called friends let me down. Only God can
help and I will keep calling him.
"Please let me know your new number because I tried last
time to talk to you and the phone has been disconnected. How
is Ade? I know he is a big boy now. His birthday is next month.
I will try to send him a card…" Then he ended the
letter in a lighter mood: "I miss all of you very much.
Are you still keeping the pie for me? (Smile) Bye till I read
from you. Kiss."
Writing from her home in St Petersburg, USA, Rosalind made
a request that the media should help locate her husband.
She said: "We have through the kind gesture of another
Nigerian living here connected this 57 Tapa Street, Ebute-Metta
East, Lagos (the address on the husband’s letter) through
personal contact, to know the situation of our father.
"The elderly woman that was met in the building confirmed
to the personal contact that my husband and his sister lived
there in the past but they had packed from there to another
place. She promised to give our contact a boy, who will take
him to the new location. She fulfilled her promise but the
boy has not been forthcoming… assist us to locate him.
If he is alive, we want him back with us here. And if he has
"passed away" (God forbid) then he deserves our
hearts in prayers. Furthermore, it will enable us to keep
his memory permanently in an everlasting monument…
"If we can get through this quagmire, the Nigerianess
in my children would be further strengthened. Currently they
are worried terribly about their father Peter Abiodun Williams."
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