On the 21st of August 2019, at about some minutes past 3:00 a.m., I was woken up by my mother’s shout. I, immediately, dashed to her room to ascertain the cause. When I got there, I saw her standing near her window shouting, “Thief! Thief!” When I inquired, she said that there was a thief in the compound raiding one of the flats. Just as she was explaining, there was a flash of bright light pointed directly to her window. I pulled her by her hand and we headed for a corner in my room. Just as we were in that spot, we saw another bright flash of light through my bedroom window. It was at that point, we knew that there was more than one thief and they were moving around our flat. We decided to leave my room and lie flat on the floor in the mini parlour. Just as our knees hit the ground, we heard the clanging of metals. They were cutting my mum’s window protector to gain access to the house.

We didn’t want them to meet us inside the house, so we went out through the back gate. The plan was to sneak out quietly from the compound and run as fast as we could to call for help. It is important to note that we were scantily dressed and while we were at the back gate, making all those movements, God positioned them at the front of the house (my mum’s bedroom area) to buy us time. After coming out through the back gate, the next step was to get to the gate that gave access into the compound. My mum was in front while I was a few steps behind her. She swiftly ran to the gate, opened it and ran out. However, she, unconsciously, shut the gate, which made some noise. There I was, wondering if I could make it to the gate after it made that noise. God’s wisdom came into manifestation and I decided to go back into the house (the same house we ran from). Before I turned to go back inside the house, I took one last peek at the gate and I saw one of them rushing towards the gate to go outside. So, if I had proceeded to the main gate, I would have run into them. Instead, I went back to the house and bolted the door from inside. It may have looked as though I was all alone, but I knew that God’s angels were around me.
Great courage came upon me. Subtly, I spoke in other tongues combined with faith declarations of God’s protection. I had my phone, so I made some phone calls. While still standing in my brother’s room this time, I saw a group of guys also running towards the gate. Everywhere was dark and I couldn’t see their faces. I thought within me that maybe they were my neighbours from the other flats, who were also running out to call for help. Not quite long after that thought went through my mind, I heard the gate open and that same group of guys came back into the compound with my mum. All I heard her shout was Jesus and Holy Spirit over and over again. I made a lot of declarations that night but the one that I could still remember vividly when I saw that they had caught her was, “I [We] shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord” (Psalm 118:17 KJV).

I heard all their conversations and saw all their movements; they kept beating her with their machetes and were using their boots to kick her stomach. All she kept shouting was Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They forced her to take them to the back gate but they couldn’t gain access into the house because I had already locked the gate from inside. One said to her, “I will shoot you now”, the other responded with “Why are you wasting time? Finish her let us go”. She was still trying to make them understand that she could not open the gate because she didn’t have the key. Meanwhile, they totally forgot the window protector that they had already cut, which would have given them access into the house. This was a clear case of Job 5:12: “He frustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot carry out their plans”.

As they were pushing her to open the door, suddenly, I guess our neighbour in the next compound, which shared the same fence with us got the courage and boldness to scream on top of his voice, “Thief! Thief! Musa, bring the boys. The police are here…” When they heard his voice, for some seconds they acted as if nothing was happening. However, in no time, one after the other they gave her mean stares and quietly left. The Egyptians that you see today, you will see them no more. They all left her alone. The robbers were about eight in number, fully armed with real guns and machetes. Our neighbour, who was shouting was alone (a one-man squad) and there were no boys or police, but God used him as a channel of deliverance and also protected him. The police arrived at about ten to twenty minutes after the robbers had gone. God showed up long before them.

Brethren, Jesus is real. He is more real than you could ever imagine. I don’t know what I would have done without Him. He was right there with us, directing us every step of the way. He never left us nor forsook us. The Word of God is powerful. One of my mum’s favourite descriptions of God is that He is the Father to the fatherless and the defender (husband) of the widow. Indeed, God defended my mother, strengthened her, gave her courage and was also her shield. It could have been worse but God said, “No”. I cast my mind back to how quick they were able to cut the so-called burglary proof protector and all I can say is that truly God is our refuge and fortress (Psalm 91:2a).

All the glory and praise belongs to our God. No man can share this glory. I do not take the Word preached through the lips of our pastors lightly because it is the foundation and pillar for improving my walk with God. Thank you, my highly esteemed Pastor Kech, our presiding pastor, a timely and true prophet of God of our time. Thank you, Pastor Sola, I’m sure if you had your way, you’d perform surgical implantation of God’s Word in us just so that we can get it. I also thank the assistant pastors, my leaders (FOG and TC Cubs), and my beloved brethren for your love and care towards my mother and me.