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Glory be to the Most High God
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(01-06-2019, 12:59 AM)essa Wrote: Glory be to Jehovah God, my redeemer, my eternal and heavenly Father, the most holy one of Israel, for He has done it again. His name will forever be praised in my life and generations in Jesus name.
I have a great testimony.
From the day i was conceived in my mother's womb, the almighty has been there for me, even when I was in sin, He out of His infinite mercy guided me to the path of salvation, and since i became born again its been one terrible battle or the other, but the Lord has not let the evil one prevail against me. Let me go straight to the point.
On the 30th of April/1st of May night/early morning i had a weird dream where i saw myself in a strange land of terrible suffering and affliction, like a forest where people are being sold like in a market, i didn't know how i got there, i posted the dream on my thread Rrain" prophet interpreted it, i also told my mom the dream, and we prayed. Little did I know it was about to happen that same day, just exactly the way i saw it.
I had been very ill, for almost a year, just when I thought God was about to perfect His work of healing on me, satan struck again. But as always, Jehovah won.
I was traveling down from delta to Portharcourt on the1st of May, there delays at the park, my body gave me signs before i left the house, but I didn't understand, i said my little prayers and embarked on the journey, as soon we entered Rivers state, Ahoada precisely, i called my younger sister to tell her i have reached rivers state, and will soon be home, that's like an hour from Portharcourt city, then we got to a town called Emuoha, little did I know that robbery and kidnapping was the order of the day around there due to the fact that i have not been in port for long and haven't really been following news, its was about 430pm and another of my sister called to know where I have reached, and was complaining that its getting late and worried because kidnappers are too much on Portharcourt highway, i said its not my portion. The moment i dropped the call and raised my head up, i saw a man with gun wearing all black came out of the bush and walked majestically and stood in middle of the road, and flagged down the vehicle i was in, Agofure bus. Then others joined, we realized almost immediately that they were thieves and not actually military men. Our driver slowed down and probably contemplating on what to do, immediately he put the car on reverse and in full speed. That's where it all changed. I'm still surprised that I'm alive. Unknown to us, their other members spread along the road in the bush, we were already in their trap, the one who flagged down our car was actually the last. The driver putting the car on reverse seem to mean trigger button indicating to them to kill us all. Then came the shots frm left, right & centre on us.I saw the moment a bullet entered our drivers head. I kept screaming jesus... I was so scared, confused, shocked, he fell on the steering, he has lost control, he was dead, the car was still in motion, bullets still being sprayed on us. Luckily I had seat belt on, I sat second to the last row in the middle, me on a normal day would only use seat belt when I'm on the front seat, but God on my side, whatever came over me, I used seat belt that day. God loves me, the seat belt saved me a great deal, my head bumped many times on the seat in front of me... It's inexplicable. In the twinkle of an eye, a trailer hit us from behind, those trailers that carries caravans, the door of our bus burst open because of the impact, as turned to look at what has happened, it hit us again by the side. The trailer driver had jumped out of the moving trailer, the experience is harrowing for me. By Gods grace i am getting over the trauma, with pain killers and sleeping meds, I still find it difficult to sleep.
I get panic attacks over every little thing now. The shooters are so mean that even with the accident, they were still shooting at us, people were injured both through the accident and by bullets, I sustained no injuries, neither through the accident nor gunshots. Jehovah be praised, because its a great miracle. I really don't know how come, cos I saw the way bullets were flying past me in the bus, all I could do was to hold my head in my hands and rested on my knees, screaming the name of Jesus, next thing I started hearing was " lie down"... I took off my seatbelt and jumped out of the bus to lie on the tarred ground.
With shattered glass everywhere. We were 7 people that remained there alive, they started saying get up, a hand dragged me up, we were dragged into the bush, or say forest, I could not believe what had happened and what's actually going on, my God! The fear, the confusion... Next thing, I was being kidnapped. I cried in my soul, they told us to be running while leading us into the bush/forest, they were with guns and threatening to shoot, as I was running they were flogging me with a machete. I thought I was dreaming.
I was beaten, slapped, kicked, punched, lots of unspeakable was done to us all. We were 6 females and a male. All i was thinking was Jehovah where did I go wrong ? Where is God my maker? Why me? Why has such a thing come upon me.
I consoled myself with meditation, meditating on the name of God almighty, reciting 23 in my heart constantly. I kept saying in my spirit that I'm a child of the most High God, I shall not die but live to declare the glory of God. When we got caught, and dragged into the bush and asked to be running, it was about 5pm, I think we ran for like 40mins, because when we finally got to their boss who was on army uniform, it was almost getting dark. We were pushed to the ground and asked to lie face down. They took the phones they could find in the bus, mine included, my younger sister called and the kidnappers picked up, telling my sister that I have been kidnapped, the phone was on speaker, I heard the shock and dread in her voice, like she didn't believe, and they cut the call, and switched off my phone. I was the first person whose family got to know of the kidnap, because they switched off all our phones after my sister called. Where I laid down, I was in prayers that Jehovah should strengthen my mom, who has been through alot for all her children and especially me. She is our father and mother at same time. We are all she has. How will she survive if I died. My God! I cried, prayed...
That night we trekked about 20minutes walk again, deeper into the forest, they would tell us to keep walking for some time then walk us back again, walk us towards left, right, to and fro. I realized they were trying to confuse us. We got to a certain distance and they asked us to lie face down, on rotten dirty bare ground, packed us like sardines, in a tiny space, they cut down woods and lit a big fire. Then came the ants, I was the only one wearing gown, ants started biting me in all the wrong places, out of fear I was bearing it, when I could no longer take it I started screaming, then one of the bosses said I should be removed from there. He asked me to sleep close to him, next thing it was constant poop and wee that came upon me, probably because of fear, that first night was so harrowing, so so cold. I cried till dawn. I thought about my mom, my sisters, my brother and my nephews and niece. Day break, they blind folded us, the morning sun was still shining and a bike man brought food, the second day around afternoon time, can't really tell the time cos I was blindfolded, the sun was scorching hot, they took us back where we met the boss the previous day, our blind folds were opened, we could see a bit as they were leading us with guns and machetes like cows, if you stumble a bit, you receive a machete whip, I fell down thrice, they flogged me like I was a goat, to get up. The 2nd day afternoon, phone was brought 4 us to contact our families, it was my mom I chose 2 call, cos I knw my sister has already passed the message of my kidnap, she wasn't the best to call bt I just needed to hear her voice & for her to hear mine, so that she'll know I'm alive. Her number was unavailable, which is unusual. I started panicking, crying, scared that something must have gone wrong after she heard the news, I then asked them to call my only brother, he sounded so afraid and willing to give all he had just to get me out of there. I asked about my mom, all he said was she is fine, but I was still afraid thinking he was deceiving me. The kidnappers took the phone and on to another victim. We met two other kidnapped guys there who were before us, our families started the negotiations, they started with 3million naira, I froze, because they were threatening death on those who can't pay. Where will my people get such money from?, my mom is managing, she is all I have, I struggle hard to make ends meet. Even with my bsc and diploma, I have not been able to find a job, was actually on my way to start a 25k teaching job-which would be the first time I would actually work with my certificate since 10yrs ago that I graduated, just when I am glorifying God for finally bringing light The people were demanding such huge amount without pity. I cried constantly in fear because I know my people have no money. I was very very scared, they kept threatening that those who can't pay will be butchered and sold in parts, in all of the fears, there was an inner consolation in me that God will make a way and I would come out alive. We laid face down the whole of d second day, blindfolded. Still haven't heard frm my mom, I was very worried, 3rd day morning I begged to speak with my mom, gave them her number again & her phone rang, she picked, I said mama it's me Essa, she kept saying Essa my daughter, repeatedly in pains...
I couldn't speak well because of sobs, all I could say was, mom you know you are all I have, she replied that we (her children) are all she has. I told her no matter what she should not involve police, because everything will be in jeopardy, they will kill me without remorse, and we were kidnapped not far from a checking point, even with d gunshot sounds, no effort of rescue, thank God police wasnt even involved, cos they would hav killed us, mom said she will never, she said she will enter town and go beg and borrow money. Those devils in human form couldn't buy ordinary sachet water to give us to drink, they were giving us water from the swamps and ponds in the forest, telling us it's medicinal, when you are extremely thirsty and dehydrated, no water for two days, you wouldn't have a choice than to accept the bad water. I drank the water, in my mind, if i come out alive I will go for treatment.
We were sleeping, on bare cold ground, packed like sardines in a tiny space, 31 people, some days no food, we never had a bath nor washed our mouths, no change of clothes nor undies.Financial negotiations were ongoing on our behalf for our release, every time I hear my mom on the phone I died a thousand times. The men suffered the most, strange form of torture, the women molested. By Sunday morning the kidnappers have made up to 10million naira on our heads. We eventually got released after all said and done, not everything I can put in writing or talk about, but then, writing this is like therapy to me, I can't bottle it up inside, i need to talk about it, maybe it will ease the pain, maybe I won't feel the heaviness in my heart anymore. Just maybe... Maybe some day I will be able to overcome the sad feeling.
Maybe.
Getting back home, my siblings narrated all they had to go through to get the money for my release, the distress and trauma of it all that they experienced, the fear, pain, shock, tears, sleepless nights, knowing that their sister is in unsafe hands out there in some bush and constant prayers.
I was told my mom almost collapsed, if not for people always with her. It could be anyone, I never imagined such a circumstance will befall me, we should always pray and be physically and spiritually alert, I saw this coming but had no understanding. I only saw pastor bankoles interpretation of the dream after my release when i had gotten another phone and logged in here.
May we never be victims of other people's circumstances, the kidnappers said their aim is to crumble agofure's business(the transport line i took), because they demanded money from him at a certain time he refused to give them. They said they are also after people in flashy cars. They said the government is mean to them by not creating jobs, so they have created jobs for themselves by kidnapping, and selling people's parts. Some are graduates and sound very enlightened.
Sometimes they talk about how they never wished for such life, but found themselves so because of the economy. They talked about their university days and NYSC. One said if he could find a job of 50k, per month he will never be into such life, but life has left him no option,that he has to survive. They talked about amnesty, how they willing laid down their guns and the government didn't keep to their promises...
Now who is to blame in all of these? The government?
Me? My family? You and I? The security officials of the country? Them? Who is to blame?
We have to pay debts now for committing no other crime than being in this country. I don't know what God is trying to teach me in a of these. I hope & pray tht the Almighty God makes it easy for me & my family to move on.
In all, I'm very grateful to Jehovah for preserving my life and making a way out for me to come out of the land of the dead and for giving me another opportunity at life.
And I have forgiven the kidnappers, i take time to pray for their souls for God to redeem them and especially one of time who was God sent to me and made sure they nobody beats from the second day, he protected me and i don't why, at nights he would hide to give me minimie chin to eat, on days when we were not given food.
I'm very lucky, i didn't die in the accident, nor by gunshots, neither was I raped, not because of any other thing but for His grace upon my life. I'm not worthy,but He loves me. Forever my life is a testimony onto God almighty. In Jesus name, Amen.
