Popular Ghanaian actor Van Vicker has narrated how he escaped death four times on his birthday.
speaking with Stacy Amoateng on her ‘Restoration’ program, the hansome actor said;
“While growing up there, the war came up. I missed death four times in one day and it was on my birthday, August 1, 1991. I came as close as a gun right in my nose.
The war was intense at that point. They were throwing bombs in our neighborhood from the top of the mountain and my neighborhood was on the other side… it was a residential area. We heard some rebels were in the swamp area but those who were apparently targeting weren’t sure of how to use the equipment, I think.
Or it was a misjudgment of a sort. So, the grenade was dropped right next to a neighbor’s house which seemed as if it was actually in our house because everything was turned upside down. The windows were vibrating… we had to run out. That was the first incident on 1st August.
On the second incident, we tried to seek refuge somewhere in town. When we got to a particular junction, people were told to show IDs. For whatever reason, we were somewhere at the back. We saw a jeep drive through to the very front of the line and we heard somebody on the megaphone saying everybody should disperse, go back home. People weren’t willing to leave. The next thing we heard was ‘spray them all’. Then we heard gunshots. We dispersed.
When we scattered, we finally got back together; my mum, my sister, and myself. She usually calls us by whistling your name. We got together, on our way back, there was this soldier who appeared right up to my nose with the AK47, cocked the gun and I was stunned. Then my uncle showed up; he was in the military as well so he spoke to the guy and while they were talking, we left.
The fourth one, after we left, we went home, we said we were going to the Ghana Embassy. On our way, we crossed the high street. Right after that, we heard someone in one of the buildings shouting ‘stand there, where are you going? Don’t move!’ They came down with guns and all and asked ‘who are you? Where’s your ID?’ My uncle knew the officer and he mentioned the officer’s name and he said ‘okay, I can see you’re legit’. I’m still here. It’s grace, destiny.”
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