Tears flowed freely at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in
Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday 12th February 2017 following the emotional
testimony of Praise Sunday, a young boy literally rescued from the jaws of
death.
At the tender age
of 12, Praise’s world came crashing down when armed robbers mercilessly
slaughtered his mother and younger sister before his eyes.
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| Mother |
The heartless
attack, which occurred on May 8th 2016, almost claimed Praise’s life
but for ‘Divine intervention’.
According to the
young boy from Agbor, Delta State, the bandits first bound their feet and hands
before demanding for money from his mum Edith, a widower struggling to run a
small provisions store.
When the meagre
amount available in the house was presented without an accompanying bank card,
the thieves became vulgar and violent.
“They took my
sister inside the room, cut her neck and left her dead on the floor,” Praise soberly
recalled, much to the shock of the congregation. She was only 10 years old.
“They then carried my mum, raped her and slaughtered her; they stabbed her in
so many places.”
The young boy had
just witnessed the gruesome mutilation of his beloved family - but the robbers
weren’t finished.
“They left her dead
on the floor and came back for me. They took me into the room where I saw my
mum and sister lying in a pool of blood. They then cut my neck and stabbed me
in the chest.”
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| During thanksgiving |
Praise was thrown
roughly on the floor as the criminals took their leave, assuming he had already
died.
Hands and feet
helplessly tied with blood spurting from the gaping wound on his neck, it
seemed the end had come for Praise Sunday. Then, something extraordinary
happened!
“I managed to open
my eyes and saw something white, sparkling and tall like a human being. It
carried me, took me to my neighbor’s gate, shook it and then disappeared.”
When his
neighbour’s rushed out, they found Praise’s bloodied body dumped at their
doorstep, his arms and legs bound together. Raising the alarm, they rushed him
to hospital.
Lapsing in and out
of consciousness and fighting for his life, Praise was taken to the General
Hospital in Agbor before being transferred to the Federal Medical Centre. “Blood
was pumping out like a shower; they could not control it,” he recalled of
the traumatic ordeal.
Although Praise
miraculously survived the attack following emergency surgery and the usage of "T.B.
Joshua’s Morning Water", he was left with his vocal chords
severely damaged and a pipe inserted into his throat. For nine long months, he
could not utter a single word.
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| In Hospital |
After seven
operations at medical institutions across the country yielding no result and
several pleas for financial aid to government bodies within Delta State falling
on seemingly deaf ears, the family decided to pay a visit to The Synagogue,
Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos.
Hearing of his
heartbreaking ordeal, T.B. Joshua – well known for his philanthropic gestures –
instantly sprang into action, promising to sponsor Praise’s travel overseas for
more advanced medical attention.
Shortly afterwards,
the young boy left for Cape Town, South Africa with his caring aunt Mabel, “all
expenses paid for by Prophet T.B. Joshua and Emmanuel TV partners”.
There, a four-hour
major operation was conducted at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town,
overseen by specialists Dr Martin Vanlierde and Professor Mark De Groot.
Given a clean bill
of health after several months of check-ups, Praise returned to Nigeria to
testify that his vocal abilities had been completely restored.
A total of $50,000
(N25m) was spent by Joshua on Praise’s trip, covering his welfare, travelling
expenses and medical bills.
Surrounded by his
extended family and grateful community members, Praise’s final words spoke
volumes. “I encourage the rich and privileged in society to emulate Prophet
T.B. Joshua and help poor people like me. Then, Nigeria would be a much better
place for us all.”
Ihechukwu Njoku is
a freelance Nigerian journalist
Tags
Society