Luke Reynolds ignored the Foreign Office’s advice against all travel to Katsina State in Nigeria because he wanted to take part in a Dambe fight for his documentary
A thrill-seeking Brit has opened up about his “beautiful” holiday in a region with “do not travel” warnings – saying it is an experience he will “carry with him” forever.
Luke Reynolds, 38, ventured into Katsina State in Nigeria, spurred by his lifelong passion for martial arts, despite concerns from loved ones and the Foreign Office advisories against visiting the region. Luke’s martial arts journey began in his youth when his father got him into taekwondo. His adventurous spirit led him from the rings of professional wrestling in his twenties back to a quest for a “try and live some form of a normal life.”
Yet his enduring fascination with fighting techniques inspired him to make documentaries about martial arts in his spare time. This pursuit brought Dambe into his life – a traditional form of boxing cherished by Nigeria’s Hausa people that rewards fighters for knocking down their opponents with tightly roped hands or powerful kicks.
Fuelled by desire, Luke was compelled to explore Dambe first-hand by competing in a fight in Nigeria and delving deeper into the heart of the sport for a documentary he was crafting. Despite the potential peril highlighted by the Foreign Office’s advisory against all trips to the region, Luke ventured to the African nation. He told the Liverpool Echo: “When I learnt about Dambe, I remember thinking, it is probably impossible for me to go there, but what if I could?”
But the Home Office has issued warnings about Katsina State, identifying it as one of several regions in north west Nigeria posing a danger to UK nationals. It stands by this advice so Luke’s trip is not recommended by authorities for safety reasons.
Nevertheless, daring Luke, from Birkenhead, Merseyside added: “I just started reaching out to different people. One of the groups that I spoke to was from Nigeria. I said that I wanted to make a documentary and take part in the sport.
“They said, ‘it’s never really been done by a westerner before, so it could go really well or really badly’. Eventually we involved an actual director and that’s when we started putting things in place.”
The Home Office advice reads: “Banditry and violent attacks are frequent and there is a high threat of kidnap. Intercommunal violence incidents occur and trains are susceptible to attack. If you’re travelling in the north-west against FCDO advice, exercise extreme caution and keep abreast of local media.”
Despite these warnings, once Luke had secured a director, he was resolute in his decision to visit, even in the face of opposition from his workplace and family. He shared: “I told my manager at work about what I was going to do and he didn’t believe me at first. When he realised I was quite serious, he was trying to talk me out of it and wanted me to make sure that I was safe.
“My girlfriend had her doubts too. My family were just really interested about how I was going to get there and what the sport was all about.”
Luke took a leap of faith and landed in Nigeria in January 2024. He felt quite comfortable in the bustling cities of Lagos and Kano, but it was a local radio interview in Kano that really kick-started his journey, as he received an incredible reaction with hundreds eager to reach out to him.
Heading to the more secluded Katsina State, Luke admitted: “It was definitely a culture shock. The government website warns us not to go there, so I didn’t know what to expect.”
He discovered a community facing numerous challenges yet deeply spiritual and unique in their way of life. Luke was instantly smitten with the local culture, saying, “People there face a lot of problems but they’re very spiritual and have their own way of life. The people are beautiful and I fell in love with the culture straight away.”
For those keen to follow Luke’s work, more information can be found by searching his name on Facebook or through his social media handles Lukeleyland1 on both Instagram and TikTok.