Nigerian Mother, Daughter Kidnapped and Assaulted by Boko Haram

Naomi glanced at her daughter, Ruth. She was scared, exhausted and thought they were about to be killed. “Convert to Islam or you will die!” one of their kidnappers shouted at them.

Masked men carrying assault weapons had abducted Naomi and Ruth from their home in the middle of the night. Judging by the brutality of their abductors, Naomi was sure they were members of Boko Haram, a militant Muslim group trying to take over territory in northern Nigeria and expel all Christians. Boko Haram wants to create a pure Islamic state based on ultra-strict principles. They have attacked government institutions and even mosques that they deemed too liberal. Many Nigerian Muslims don’t meet their standards.

Naomi knew that Christians were a primary target of Boko Haram, and she’d heard repeated stories of how they had entered Christian villages and killed everyone. She was afraid that she and Ruth were next. The kidnappers had marched them for hours through the bush until they reached their camp. Then they had raped both Naomi and Ruth. Now their kidnappers were demanding that they convert to Islam. Naomi knew they were serious about killing them. When she and Ruth were taken, she saw the men shooting and even decapitating others in their village.

Fearing for her life and that of her daughter, Naomi said the words: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.” Ruth repeated them after her. Satisfied, their kidnappers sent them to work with the other women who were serving Boko Haram in the camp.

Hundreds Abducted

Hundreds of women have been abducted by Boko Haram during their four-year insurgency in Nigeria. Some have been sold as slaves to generate income for the group, while others have been kept as wives and servants. Some have been able to return to their homes months after their abduction, often pregnant or having already borne a child.

VOM is working with several girls who escaped from Boko Haram. They are receiving vocational training and other support as they work through the trauma and stigma of abuse. When the girls return to their communities, it is often difficult for them to find a spouse and the economic stability that accompanies marriage. VOM workers partner with local churches to provide emotional support and spiritual encouragement.

Thankfully, Naomi and Ruth did not have to wait months for their nightmare to end. After about two weeks, some of the Boko Haram wives helped them escape. Although they were free, they felt enormously ashamed. They had denied Christ, and they weren’t sure they could ever forgive themselves or that Jesus would forgive them.

“Will He Forgive Us?”

Several months after Naomi and Ruth escaped, they were asked to share their story with visiting VOM workers.

“When we walked into the room, they didn’t look at us,” one worker said. “They kept their eyes down.” The visitors knew a little about what had happened to Naomi and Ruth, but they weren’t sure how best to help them.

Wanting to serve and honor these two women who had suffered, a female VOM worker asked if she could wash their feet. Naomi and Ruth were surprised. In their stratified society they were near the bottom, and they would normally be serving their foreign visitors. But instead, this Christian woman they had just met was sitting at their feet, pouring warm water over their calloused toes.

The water seemed to open the floodgates of their emotions. The women tearfully poured out their story and all that had happened to them. They admitted that they did not feel like they could ever be forgiven for denying Christ and “converting” to Islam. They were not sure Jesus could ever accept them again.

The VOM workers told them the story of how Peter was forgiven after he had denied Christ in the high priest’s courtyard while Jesus was being questioned. “It was an unforgettable ministry and fellowship,” the worker said. “We were able to minister to them and reassure them about the Lord’s forgiveness.”

As the women wept and prayed with the VOM workers, they realized that the question they had been asking had already been answered. They were forgiven by a Savior who knows their humanity and promises never to let His followers go.