Man Recounts How He Escaped Death During Boko Haram Attack (Photo)

  
Balogun Oluwasegun, an Indigene of
Ogun state narrates a sad story of
how he escaped death during Boko
Haram attacks in Borno state and
also how his wife and children have
been missing since then.
He shared his sad story with
National Mirror
“My name is Balogun Oluwasegun
from Ogun state but resides in Borno
state Lassa Town, Askira-Uba Local
Government Area in Borno state and
working with Jimisegs Nigeria
Limited.
As an artist, we do always get jobs
in churches and mosques all around
the area.
But on February 17, 2015, I was on
my way to enter into the church
auditorium for two reasons: to
deliver a job for them and see my
wife and the children because it was
on Tuesday and this Tuesday is for
women Bible classes and she always
go with my kids.
While coming through the back
door that led to the church
auditorium (as I did not take the
main entrance for security reasons),
I heard sporadic gunshots.
They shot through the window of
the church, and many people were
killed.
Many members who attended the
church service were also injured
People were shouting and screaming
and I never want to see what was
happening but because my family
was in the church for the women
Bible classes.
As I was trying to see a way of
seeing what was happening but I
could not while trying to see what I
can do three guys came out of the
auditorium one of them was
seriously wounded with gunshot
injuries, and while trying to rescue
him he fell down and told us that it
was one Musa that shot at him.
but the other guy got the message in
which it was later the guy was
telling us about the Musa he was
saying but died while trying to tell
us this.
Because of this development, fear
gripped me and with the situation of
my leg I can’t run, so I quickly
thought of what to do and the best
for me was to hide because I can’t
run.
To avoid being victim of the
insurgence, I quickly ran into church
choir’s room and covered myself
with clothes and the drums, as I hid
myself, I was hearing this gunmen
speaking in their language and
shouting Allau Akbar about 20
minutes after I did not hear them
again and no gun shots.
With the hope that they have gone, I
came out from my hiding, but to my
surprise I saw people that had been
slaughtered and killed littering the
ground, and despite the fear of
being attacked that is in me, I still
remained resolute that I must get to
my destination because of my family
that were in the church.
But while I was trying to take them
out of the church, I saw the two
other guys who are also devotees of
the church also coming out from the
hideout but one of them was
seriously injured too but managed
to narrate to me that the guy that
died knows one of the gun men
which his name is Musa.
While describing the said Musa to
me, I realized I know him too, and
said Musa was the one that shot him
about 15 minutes after people
started coming out of the church, to
my greatest surprise I did not see
my wife and my kids only to be told
later by eye witnesses around that
the armed men had kidnapped some
people, and since then I have not
being myself.
I have reported the matter to the
policemen that came to the scene
and they promised to do all things
within their power to get them
rescued.
The matter was reported at a nearby
police station, but to my surprised,
since February20, 2015, which is
four days after the attack on the
church, I learnt that a friend called
John was also killed in a hospital by
the insurgents.
With this report, I was shocked; in
fact this is what I can describe as
the ‘greatest shock’ of my life.
Also, on February 22, 2015, six days
the third guy too was killed by this
same Boko Haram group, and
meanwhile I came to my senses that
we are four that left alive that day.
Since then I have been receiving
strange phone calls threatening my
life.