Nigerian-born Tina Okpara was 13 when international footballer Godwin Okpara, who played for French club Paris Saint-Germain and Nigeria’s national squad, convinced her parents that she should live in Paris with his family. They agreed for her to be adopted to gain a better life and a great education. Instead, Tina was banned from attending school and was catapulted into five years of slavery, neglect, and physical and sexual abuse. Five years later, on her third attempt, she managed to escape their clutches.
In 2007 Godwin was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his adopted daughter while his wife, Linda, received 15 years for torture. Tina’s traumatic experiences led her to join forces with acclaimed journalist Cyril Guinet to write her memoirs – My Life Has a Price. In an emotional interview, Tina tells Joy Francis why she wrote the book, how she survived the ordeal and why her diary was her best friend.
Why did you want to write a book about the traumatic events that happened to you?
During the court case a journalist [Cyril Guinet] approached my lawyer about me writing a book. I refused. All I wanted to do was to leave this living hell and rebuild my life. I needed to get some therapy to forget about what I went through. A few years later when I was feeling better I told my lawyer that I was ready to share my story. Two days later the same journalist approached my lawyer again. This time I said yes.
What was right about that particular time for you to say yes?
I had gone through therapy and felt ready to share what had happened with me to help other girls who were or had been in the same situation as me. It was like being brainwashed. When someone tells you “you are so stupid,” you start believing it. I wanted them to know that they should keep fighting and never give up because they can rebuild their lives. I also wanted my family and people back home [Nigeria] to understand what I went through. I couldn’t tell them all the details because it was so sad. In Africa we don’t talk about sexuality, which is isn’t good.
How did you manage to recall all the harrowing details of what happened to you for the book?
When I lived with them I kept a diary because I didn’t have friends and I didn’t go to school. My best friend was my diary. I wasn’t lucky with first diary because one of the daughter’s was aware of it. She came downstairs where I slept and searched in my clothes and found the diary but didn’t say anything at first. One day, when her mother was angry with me, she told her that I had a diary. I was told to go and get it. When I gave it to her I thought it would be the end of the world. She kept the diary but that didn’t stop me writing.
How did you keep your future diaries secret from the Okpara family?
I managed to hide them until the police came to take me away. They took most of my clothes. Some of my diaries were in my clothes but not all of them. Even when I was placed in a government house I continued to keep a diary.
When you sat down with Cyril Guinet [a specialist in child slavery], what was the writing process? Did you tell him your story and he wrote it for you?
Cyril had followed my court case so was aware of my story. Sometimes we would meet for two to three hours and I would narrate my story. Sometimes it would be over the phone. Afterwards, he would send the story back to me bit by bit to check and make corrections. Then I would send it back to him through email because we didn’t live close to each other. Once the book was finished, he printed everything and sent it to me. I had to relive the story all over again. Even when I was narrating my story I couldn’t believe what was coming out.
Who chose the book’s title, My Life Has a Price?
The title was proposed by the publisher [Amalion Publishing]. The title explains exactly how it was. During the court case Mr Okpara [Godwin] said he paid my parents before bringing me to France, which is not true. What he did was give my father 345 euros to buy a motorcycle, but unknown to my father he was buying my life.
Do you still write?
Yes, all the time. But what I’m really thinking about is rebuilding my life, meeting a man and having my own family. I want people who read the book to know that they must never give up.