A Christian girl from Nigeria kidnapped by the notorious Boko Haram group in 2014 reportedly detailed her harrowing escape in a press conference held on Tuesday, November 16.
The Christian Post said Joy Bishara was one of the 276 girls from Chibok, Nigeria who was kidnapped on April 14, 2014. Bishara said in the International Christian Concern (ICC) press conference held at the Capitol Hill Hotel in Washington, D.C. that she survived the kidnapping after escaping them because of a deal she made with God.
The ICC held the press conference for the launching of the 2021 Persecutor of the Year Awards, an annual ranking of the world's "Dis-Honorees" or "countries with the worst religious freedom records" gathered from a "comprehensive publication" and in-depth research and analysis of their overseas sources and staff.
Bishara was invited to share her story of kidnapping and escape from the Boko Haram since Nigeria received the top Country Award having been described as "one of the deadliest places on earth for Christians" with 50,000 to 70,000 killed in the last 20 years. The top Individual Award was North Korea's Kim Jong-un while the top Entity Award went to the Taliban.
During the conference, Bishara recalled their kidnapping that took place at night while they were in the school's dormitory. She said she was awakened by her friend in time for her to hear gunshots being fired. She described that "the floor was just shaking and everywhere was just scary." Then her friend told her that the Boko Haram has arrived.
"We were all sleeping and my friend woke me up. I looked at her and I went back to sleep. But she touched me and woke me up a second time so I listened and the ground was shaking and I can hear gunshots outside of the gate. Mind you, you have to walk about six minutes to get to our dormitory where we are sleeping from the campus area and that's where the gate was," Bishara narrated.
The girl revealed that she was not new to the Boko Haram who was renowned to attack local villages in Nigeria, during which people would leave their homes and spend the night in the bushes until it is safe to return home. The thought of the notorious group present in their campus made her think of her family's safety such that she prayed "for God's protection on our family."
They had just finished praying when a soldier came in the dorm and it took a while for her to realize that this was a Boko Haram member. She pointed out that the Boko Haram "usually take the forms of soldiers because soldiers are known to protect people and that's how they deceive us to stay in one place."
The man then had her and her friend wake up the rest of the girls in the dormitory and stay in one place together. As soon as they are gathered, the rest of the Boko Haram came in.
"(They) started barging in, some of them climbing the walls, some of them...pushing through the gate and they came in and that was when we realized they were not the soldiers...like they claimed because, at that time, some of them were not dressed as soldiers and soldiers usually all look the same," Bishara continued.
Boko Haram then started shooting above them and shouted threats of killing them. Bishara revealed how helpless she felt because "nobody would do anything about it." They stayed in their places while the militant ransacked their food. After they were done looting, Boko Haram set their building on fire. They then asked them to sit under a tree, kneel down, and say their last prayers.
At that time, she felt they would definitely be killed. But to her surprise three trucks came and the militants asked that those who do wish to live should get into the truck. She then jumped in without hesitation. The trucks then left the school and while it did that was when she "made a deal with God."
"Please allow me to see my family once more and I promise to follow you for the rest of my life," Bishara told God at that time.
Then her opportunity to escape came. The truck stopped because one of the militant's vehicles malfunctioned. It was then that she heard a voice say "jump" but she had to weigh the consequences, which would either be an injury or death. But she realized it would be better for her to die at least her family would find her body and know she is dead than never be seen again as with those the group kidnapped in the past. Thus, she went ahead and jumped.
"So when I jumped out and I fell on my belly, realizing I was still breathing, I got up and started sprinting..and I ran for the rest of the night," Bishara shared.
Bishara kept running until she reached a village where she met two other girls from school and who also jumped out of the other trucks. They then found a farmer who they asked assistance from to take them back to the school. That was the last time she saw Boko Haram.
Bishara eventually migrated to the United States where she finished college in Oregon's Canyonville Christian Academy before she went to Florida's Southeastern University for additional studies. She then had an audience with former President Donald Trump in 2017 at the White House after the United States Department of State released its annual report on global human trafficking. Bishara has been speaking in various gatherings, including at the United Nations, regarding her ordeal.
After sharing her experience, the press conference proceeded in naming Nigeria as the top country for its 2021 Persecutor of the Year Awards.
