The first thing that today is associated with Boko Haram is terrorism. During its existence this group has earned a bad reputation due to the use of violence as a basic tool of its activities. The methods used by members of Boko Haram are very severe and require specific psychological qualities of the members. Not everyone is able to intimidate, kidnap and slaughter innocent people… This group has a strict discipline, and we can only guess how many members in Boko Haram remain silent and continue to do horrible things on the path of death.
However, we can recall some famous cases when Boko Haram members broke free from being brainwashed and left this sect. NAIJ.com recalls three different stories of such people.
1. Nasir Isiaku
The shocking confession of this man happened about 13 months ago, in August 2013. Nasir has reportedly dumped the Islamist sect and chose to convert to Christianity after spending 3 years with Boko Haram.
From confessions published by TheSun we learned that the 27-year-old men used to belong to one of the 6 major gangs of the sect called Shiite. This division has its members in such states as Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Zamfara, among others.
Apart from physical training Boko Haram commanders conduct extensive psychological training for the members in order to boost their readiness to fight.
In his words: “We were told that the more we kill the Christians, the greater will be our chances to enter the paradise of God. At the same time, our command referred to the Koran.
“Originally we were going to kill all the Christians in Kaduna and then kill those who live in the north.”
According to Isiaku, before each operation gang members drank “spiritual water” and, as a result, they become especially furious and could easily kill anyone, without much thinking. The sect members are convinced that this potion protects them from bullets.
“I do not remember how many people I killed. We shot in the legs and asked the victims if they would like to become a Muslim. When a person said “no”, we cut his throat like a goat. After the murder of a non-believer, we collected his blood and drank it. We believe that in this case, the spirits of the murdered will not come to haunt us in a dream. If we had no desire to drink blood, we only dipped fingers in it and then put them into mouths,” Nasir admitted.
When asked how he became a Christian, Isiaku told about “a man dressed in white” who appeared in his dream after which he decided to change his faith.
In his speech the former Muslim send a warning message for all the Christians, saying terrorists are determined to exterminate all the ‘infidels’ in Nigeria, not limiting to any particular area:
“I sincerely advise Christians to begin to prepare for war, to arm and “tighten their belts.” The Islamist terrorist sects are ready to go to war.”
READ ALSO: Boko Haram Takes over Gulak Town in Adamawa”
2. Mustapha
The video message released by Emmanuel TV, run by Prophet T.B.Joshua, shocked thousands of Nigeria about 5 months ago. A self-acclaimed Boko Haram member appeared before the congregation of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) causing uproar.
He introduced himself as Mustapha from Yola, Adamawa State and confessed of being a Boko Haram member. The person continued his speech by explaining their plan on camera:
“We were five in number. We dropped at the junction opposite the church. There was a man who used to sell something opposite the church here. He is selling sweets, soap and cigarettes. I met the man and asked him to help me keep the bag I was carrying. It contained some instruments – bombs, to kill people.
“Later, we decided to sit down and eat before going on our mission here. Our plan was to take souls, to destroy at this Synagogue Church.”
However, whilst sitting down to eat with his colleagues at a restaurant opposite the popular church in Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, Mustapha recounted a strange incident.
“They brought food for us and we were eating. At that place, they had television. We were watching the television and discussing. It was Emmanuel TV – I saw you (T.B. Joshua) preaching to people.
“By the time you prayed and laid hands on the screen, it was like you were there with us and you joined our midst. As you laid your hands on the screen, you laid your hands on our face. That was when confusion came between us; everybody scattered.”
This prompted Mustafa to come and make this confession.
After Mustapha’s words Joshua prayed and the young man fell to the floor. As he got up slowly from the floor, tears were in Mustapha’s.
“The spirit leading him to kill is gone,” Joshua declared to applause from the onlookers. The curse of Boko Haram has been removed from the man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9-qoP7TpK0
3. Hosea Bulus
The SCOAN repeated ‘confession’ of a Boko Haram member about 2 months later. At the end of the service held at T.B.Joshua’s church a “aggressive young man” stood forward and said:
“I am one of the Boko Haram. They said they would give me N2,000,000 if I blow up a church. Every church would be N2,000,000. They said they would give me a big house and a wife.”
When he was asked why he had come to the church, the man said: “I have listened to T.B. Joshua – that is why I am here.”
Moments later T.B. Joshua himself returned to the congregation and said he had heard the confession, called that “mind-boggling”.
The famous pastor continued the query and asked the man, who identified himself as Hosea Bulus, how he initiated into the group, to which he replied: “They gave me blood; they gave me charms. I took it inside food.” He added that after this the urge to kill and destroy entered him.
Addressing the congregation regarding T.B. Joshua said:
“One thing you must know – we are fighting evil spirits that steal, kill and destroy. Let us not fight with our neighbours. We have Muslim brothers and sisters. They are our neighbours. We live together and work together.”
According to the prophet, the problem is not about Muslims and Christians, but about “evil spirit”, saying that no one could bring himself to killing innocent lives without being under the influence of an ‘evil spirit’.
T.B. Joshua finally stated that he would not ask the man any further questions publicly so as not to undermine the intelligence Hosea would be able to provide to the relevant authorities. Then the man of God prayed for Hosea, who fell to his knees.
READ ALSO: BAMA ATTACK: Boko Haram Kills Senator’s Nephews
These stories shook the community. One may believe them or not. The thing which remains undoubtful is the morale that they carry. These episodes showed that many in the Boko Haram sect do not agree to continue to do evil. And the fact that Nazir, Mustafa and Hosea wanted to say about this publicly and furthermore do so in front of Christians indicates a serious need for repentance for their anti-human activities in Boko Haram.
However, we can recall some famous cases when Boko Haram members broke free from being brainwashed and left this sect. NAIJ.com recalls three different stories of such people.
1. Nasir Isiaku
The shocking confession of this man happened about 13 months ago, in August 2013. Nasir has reportedly dumped the Islamist sect and chose to convert to Christianity after spending 3 years with Boko Haram.
From confessions published by TheSun we learned that the 27-year-old men used to belong to one of the 6 major gangs of the sect called Shiite. This division has its members in such states as Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Zamfara, among others.
Apart from physical training Boko Haram commanders conduct extensive psychological training for the members in order to boost their readiness to fight.
In his words: “We were told that the more we kill the Christians, the greater will be our chances to enter the paradise of God. At the same time, our command referred to the Koran.
“Originally we were going to kill all the Christians in Kaduna and then kill those who live in the north.”
According to Isiaku, before each operation gang members drank “spiritual water” and, as a result, they become especially furious and could easily kill anyone, without much thinking. The sect members are convinced that this potion protects them from bullets.
“I do not remember how many people I killed. We shot in the legs and asked the victims if they would like to become a Muslim. When a person said “no”, we cut his throat like a goat. After the murder of a non-believer, we collected his blood and drank it. We believe that in this case, the spirits of the murdered will not come to haunt us in a dream. If we had no desire to drink blood, we only dipped fingers in it and then put them into mouths,” Nasir admitted.
When asked how he became a Christian, Isiaku told about “a man dressed in white” who appeared in his dream after which he decided to change his faith.
In his speech the former Muslim send a warning message for all the Christians, saying terrorists are determined to exterminate all the ‘infidels’ in Nigeria, not limiting to any particular area:
“I sincerely advise Christians to begin to prepare for war, to arm and “tighten their belts.” The Islamist terrorist sects are ready to go to war.”
READ ALSO: Boko Haram Takes over Gulak Town in Adamawa”
2. Mustapha
The video message released by Emmanuel TV, run by Prophet T.B.Joshua, shocked thousands of Nigeria about 5 months ago. A self-acclaimed Boko Haram member appeared before the congregation of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) causing uproar.
He introduced himself as Mustapha from Yola, Adamawa State and confessed of being a Boko Haram member. The person continued his speech by explaining their plan on camera:
“We were five in number. We dropped at the junction opposite the church. There was a man who used to sell something opposite the church here. He is selling sweets, soap and cigarettes. I met the man and asked him to help me keep the bag I was carrying. It contained some instruments – bombs, to kill people.
“Later, we decided to sit down and eat before going on our mission here. Our plan was to take souls, to destroy at this Synagogue Church.”
However, whilst sitting down to eat with his colleagues at a restaurant opposite the popular church in Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, Mustapha recounted a strange incident.
“They brought food for us and we were eating. At that place, they had television. We were watching the television and discussing. It was Emmanuel TV – I saw you (T.B. Joshua) preaching to people.
“By the time you prayed and laid hands on the screen, it was like you were there with us and you joined our midst. As you laid your hands on the screen, you laid your hands on our face. That was when confusion came between us; everybody scattered.”
This prompted Mustafa to come and make this confession.
After Mustapha’s words Joshua prayed and the young man fell to the floor. As he got up slowly from the floor, tears were in Mustapha’s.
“The spirit leading him to kill is gone,” Joshua declared to applause from the onlookers. The curse of Boko Haram has been removed from the man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9-qoP7TpK0
3. Hosea Bulus
The SCOAN repeated ‘confession’ of a Boko Haram member about 2 months later. At the end of the service held at T.B.Joshua’s church a “aggressive young man” stood forward and said:
“I am one of the Boko Haram. They said they would give me N2,000,000 if I blow up a church. Every church would be N2,000,000. They said they would give me a big house and a wife.”
When he was asked why he had come to the church, the man said: “I have listened to T.B. Joshua – that is why I am here.”
Moments later T.B. Joshua himself returned to the congregation and said he had heard the confession, called that “mind-boggling”.
The famous pastor continued the query and asked the man, who identified himself as Hosea Bulus, how he initiated into the group, to which he replied: “They gave me blood; they gave me charms. I took it inside food.” He added that after this the urge to kill and destroy entered him.
Addressing the congregation regarding T.B. Joshua said:
“One thing you must know – we are fighting evil spirits that steal, kill and destroy. Let us not fight with our neighbours. We have Muslim brothers and sisters. They are our neighbours. We live together and work together.”
According to the prophet, the problem is not about Muslims and Christians, but about “evil spirit”, saying that no one could bring himself to killing innocent lives without being under the influence of an ‘evil spirit’.
T.B. Joshua finally stated that he would not ask the man any further questions publicly so as not to undermine the intelligence Hosea would be able to provide to the relevant authorities. Then the man of God prayed for Hosea, who fell to his knees.
READ ALSO: BAMA ATTACK: Boko Haram Kills Senator’s Nephews
These stories shook the community. One may believe them or not. The thing which remains undoubtful is the morale that they carry. These episodes showed that many in the Boko Haram sect do not agree to continue to do evil. And the fact that Nazir, Mustafa and Hosea wanted to say about this publicly and furthermore do so in front of Christians indicates a serious need for repentance for their anti-human activities in Boko Haram.
