“God spared me to worship Him” – Adam in Cameroon escapes two kidnappings

When Adam in Cameroon was kidnapped by Boko Haram, he was willing to die for his faith. But then he saw God intervene – and not for the first time.

Shortly after becoming a Christian whilst at school, Adam had a dream. “Jesus told me I should not worry, for He is with me,” he remembers. It was a powerful encounter – one that’s helped sustain him as he’s experienced extreme persecution.

Singled out and kidnapped

After finishing school and starting a family, Adam became a fishmonger. He was working on an island in Far North Cameroon when he and his colleagues were surrounded by Boko Haram militants. Singling out the Christians from the Muslims, the radical Islamist militants asked them who gave them permission to work on the land. “We had no idea that territory belonged to Muslims,” he recalls. “We said we didn’t know.”

Adam and seven other Christians were forced onto a canoe and made to paddle with their hands through the night. They then walked for several days, reaching a Boko Haram hideout. After five weeks in captivity, they escaped by capitalising on a power struggle amongst the militants. “We ran away while there was tension. God did it; God helped and we fled.”

Reunited with his family, everyday life became increasingly difficult for Adam and other local Christians. The village was controlled by Boko Haram, who imposed strict Islamic law that made it almost impossible for believers to express their faith. Land and resources owned by Christians were seized, and they weren’t allowed to work unless they worked for the militants.

“The Muslims do their trade, live well, get married, and do as they wish,” Adam explains. “But us Christians, we can’t, unless we flee from here. Today, we flee to one village, tomorrow to another. We are on the run. We are not certain about the places we can live.

“Since we no longer have jobs or farms, sometimes having enough food to eat becomes a problem. This has made some of our Christian brothers and sisters trade Christianity for Islam. Some are being forced to convert, and they do so to cope.”

Festivals like Christmas and Easter are forbidden, forcing believers to celebrate it underground or by travelling afar. Even weddings can have serious repercussions. “All those who make the mistake of celebrating will be arrested and brought to the bush. They take our children and flog them. They hold them captive in the bush and sometimes ‘marry’ them. Some are killed.”

Tied up alongside brothers

Adam and his family had just returned from a gathering with other believers to mark the New Year when he was kidnapped for a second time – and this time the ordeal was far worse.

He was asleep when there was a loud knock. “Open the door!” someone yelled. As Adam approached to see who it was, he saw their shoes and his heart shuddered. “These are those people,” he thought. Stepping outside, Adam saw that his brother had been caught and tied up. His other brothers were also brought out. “They shot my little brother and my father’s little brother. They kidnapped eight of us.

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“We panicked a lot,” Adam says. “Some had broken bones from being beaten. Everyone was crying, thinking that they would be killed in that place. We were saying that our time had come. We were afraid, just waiting for them to kill us.” Adam thought about his children and frail parents, and who’d take care of them. “In my heart I was worried, but I prayed.”

“Death clothes”

The group were taken to a Boko Haram camp, where they were asked repeatedly if they are Christians. “We said, ‘Yes, we are.’ I knew Jesus would perform His miracle, because we were praying.”

One day, the militants brought the group red clothing and red bandages to cover their eyes. “We had spent more than a month wearing the clothes we were kidnapped in. When they saw the red clothes, many of the men welcomed it.” But Adam had a sick feeling about them. “My heart told me not to wear that red dress. I told them, ‘I won’t wear it.’” Still, some of the men put on the clothing.

Adam and the group later learned that the garments were ‘death clothes’. “Whoever wore those clothes was never able to remove them. No one who wore the red bandage was ever able to remove it. No one. I refused to wear the red clothes because I believed I would not die there. I told Jesus that I would not die there! We will return home.”

Despite trying to stay hopeful, Adam and the group’s perseverance was severely tested, prompting a bold prayer. “If they will kill us, let them kill us. But if we’re going to be free, show us, because we’re tired of suffering. I didn’t see a sign either way.”

Adam had to wait a further six weeks, but eventually a sign came. The guards at the entrance of the camp fell asleep, leaving the door open, and the group fled – including those who’d put on the red ‘death’ clothing. “God spared us!”

Comforted and strengthened

Adam was reunited with his family, but they were now displaced. He had nightmares and struggled to find work. But your support showed Adam that he’s not alone – providing him with practical support and trauma care to help him forgive his persecutors. “With God’s help, you have comforted me,” he says. “I no longer have the weight in my heart.”

Other believers affected by violence in the region have also benefited from your faithful support, including the provision of Bibles in French and Hausa. “It has helped us to be strengthened. We are rooted in the Word of God. It has made us strong; we are not ashamed and we do not doubt either,” says Adam. He is now using his experiences to encourage and support other believers affected by Islamist militant attacks.

“I was kidnapped twice, but I wasn’t killed. I don’t know why it happened this way, but the Lord is the One who has let me live for His glory. Maybe He spared me to worship Him.”