“They used to call me Chief Trouble.” For years, the motor park in Ibadan, Nigeria, was both his kingdom and his cage. He worked as a hawker, loading buses, shouting destinations, collecting fees, and starting fights just to prove he was to be feared. Each morning began at the liquor stall, and by midday his voice was hoarse from shouting and arguing. Chaos was his survival.
Sometimes, TWR volunteers came with pamphlets about TWR Radio 1476 kHz. He mocked them loudly. “See these church people! Will radio save Nigeria?” He chased them away, thinking he was defending his territory – but really, he was defending his emptiness.
One night, after a long day of drinking and fighting, he stumbled home heavy with shame. Out of habit, he turned on his small radio. Through the static came a Yoruba voice. It was Thru the Bible teaching on “The Lost Son.” The words pierced him. “It was as if the man behind that voice was talking directly to me.”
Something in him broke. He knelt on the floor, whispering, “Jesus, I want you. Jesus, take me.” When morning came, he felt lighter. At the park, he couldn’t drink or curse. Peace had settled in.
Weeks passed. He kept listening. He stopped fighting and started helping. People noticed. One driver even trusted him with his bus keys, something unimaginable before.
Today, he drives a bus and begins each day tuned to TWR 1476 kHz. He prays for every passenger.
He is no longer Chief Trouble. He is Alani—a child of grace, a driver of hope.
Behind this radio station is a larger story too. People like TWR engineer Larry McGuire, serving through SonSet Solutions, supplied the electrical equipment that powers the station. Through this same partnership, thousands of SonSet® radios are reaching listeners like Alani.
By Barb Anderson, August 2026