Muslim Survivor Recounts Christian Man's Heroic Rescue During Jos Palm Sunday Attack
A resident of Filin Ball community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Sa'idu Murtala, has provided a detailed account of how a Christian man saved his life during a violent attack on Anguwan Rukuba community last Sunday, March 29. Gunmen stormed the village on Palm Sunday, carrying out assaults that resulted in the deaths of over twenty individuals.
A Terrifying Evening Turned into a Night of Refuge
Narrating his harrowing ordeal to DailyTrust, Murtala, who sells garden eggs for a living, explained that he was attending to customers when the armed assailants arrived in the area. "I used to do business around the Rukuba community. I used to sell garden eggs. Around 7:30, I told my friend Hassan, who used to sell sugarcane, that it was already 7:30 and asked him when we were supposed to go home. He suggested we stay until 9 pm," Murtala recalled.
"The moment I turned to where I displayed my garden eggs to attend to customers, I started hearing gunshots. Everybody was looking for somewhere to hide. All of a sudden, a Christian man quickly opened his house and hid me inside. I completely lost my senses, thinking I would be killed because the situation was terrifying as people around were angry," he added.
Acts of Compassion Amidst Chaos
The Christian rescuer not only provided immediate shelter but also extended profound kindness to the frightened Muslim man. "He hid me in his wife's room and asked his wife to bring food for me. He did everything to calm my mind. I spent the night in his house, and the following day he called my father, who later came and picked me up after the situation was okay," Murtala stated.
He emphasized that his rescuer was fully aware of his religious identity. "He knows I am a Muslim because I used to do my business there everyday and leave for my area. He knows my faith. My phone, which I gave to one Monday for charging, was also returned after the situation was calm. All of them know I am a Muslim. I will never forget this man who saved my life," he expressed with gratitude.
Missing Friend and Enduring Lessons
In a somber note, Murtala revealed that his friend Hassan, the sugarcane seller, remains missing as his phone number cannot be reached. Despite this uncertainty, the garden egg seller reflected on the profound impact of the Christian man's actions.
"It was a lesson to me, and that all persons cannot be the same. In both Christianity and Islam, there are good and bad people. But if all people were like this man who saved my life, the world would be at peace. I don't have anything to pay him back, but I believe Allah will reward him for what he did. Allah would definitely open his doors," Murtala concluded, highlighting a message of interfaith harmony and human decency in the face of adversity.
