Sometimes a simple gesture—like holding open a door—can become an act of heroism. When the second plane hit the World Trade Center towers in New York, security guard Godwin Ajala could have saved himself. Instead, he helped others to safety. That small, steady act would ultimately cost him his life.
From Nigeria to New York
Ajala was born on June 9, 1968, to a father who was a retailer in Ihenta, Nigeria, a small town in the eastern state of Ebonyi. His childhood was marked by war; Ihenta lay within the Biafra region, which launched a civil war in an attempt to break away from Nigeria.By the time Ajala reached adulthood, the civil war had ended, and he was able to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. He practiced law while living in Ihenta with his wife and three children. Because of poor economic conditions in Nigeria, however, Ajala struggled to support his family.
