A Nigerian, Jimoh Temitope Olumuyiwa, has narrated how mother luck saved him from being killed by a group of jihadists in Nigeria, over his decision to become a Christian.
The father of two, who was once a Muslim, stated that he started receiving death threats from the Muslim community, he once had some very good rapport with, immediately they heard of his decision to change faith.
According to the 49-year-old- indigene of Ijebu Igbo, in Ogun State, he was immediately considered a ‘betrayer’ and a ‘traitor’ for leaving the Islamic religion, by the overzealous Muslim group; who saw the conversion as worse than a crime.
“The jihadists keep killing or kidnapping anyone who changes their religion or those who are Christians. However, when the community learned of our conversion (my family and I), everything changed. We started receiving threats, seeing strange faces, monitoring us. I began to sense danger for my life and my family over persistent threats coming from the leadership of the community’s religious group,” he stated.
Jimoh, who said he initially didn’t attach much importance to those threats, since he thought it would naturally subside with time, had to act when it discovered the threats were real, and would not subside any soon. Those that had been his greatest allies were keeping tabs on his movements, and reporting same to the religious fundamentalists, he stated.
The decision to seek refuge, outside his home, eventually came for Jimoh, when, on his way home, from work, one day, he was eventually ambushed, by a group of men he had prayed with for years, and assaulted.
“They called me an apostate, a disgrace. While there was a crowd gathering to find out what was happening, I managed to escape. Our house was no longer safe either, because they threatened to take my family away.
“Every outside noise sounded like the beginning of another attack. My family and I were safer when I was forced to change my children’s school, my older daughter was put in a boarding house for her High School Education for her safety before she gained admission into the University outside the country, while the little one was with us because she’s still a child,” he stated.
Unfortunately, despite his decision to move to another city /state as a way of warding off the threats and attacks, the assault, he stated, continued.
“We were hoping things would get better, at least for us to explore every possible option by moving to another city /state and living a low and quiet life style. My wife, my children, and I were routinely rejected and insulted by the family and the community,” he stated.
He had thought his travelling, and eventual arrival in oversea with his family, would douse tension back home, and give his 5-year-old daughter, battling with severe Adenoid, since 2002, the opportunity to access good healthcare.
“In February 2024, I lost my dear mum, Though, at the initial stage I had the fear of coming to Nigeria. However, I gave it a second thought that, the death of my mother would have subsided any grievance against us; since they had neither heard from me nor my family for some months.
“I travelled back to Nigeria alone to pay my last respect leaving my family behind because my younger daughter had ongoing medical treatment oversea and I believed it would be safer for them until I was sure that they could return home.
“It was after the burial on the 19th of July 2024 that I realised that my Mum’s death was the handiwork of these evil people. They wanted to get to me through her. As soon as they got information that I was in town, they attacked again. They broke into my home, destroyed my properties and killed my dog, we knew it wasn’t a robbery case/incident because they didn’t steal anything,” he stated.
Jimoh, who was out of town for his Niece’s in-law’s wedding, when the incident occurred, saw a threat note from the assailants, indicating the attack was just the beginning.
Barely a week after, while still trying to get over the invasion of his residence, and the killing of his dog, he was attacked by some unknown thugs, on motorbikes, right on his street, on his way to a friend’s place.
“These thugs waylaid me with motorbikes, I escaped the attack but my vehicle was vandalized and burnt, it was a narrow escape for me. That was when I knew the country wasn’t safe or secure for neither myself nor my family any longer,” he stated.
According to him, despite making an official complaint at the police station, immediately after the incident, the police promised to investigate, but it didn’t achieve the desired results. He was eventually told by the law enforcement agents that they wouldn’t want to be involved in such a sensitive and complicated religious matter.
