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There was a time when Abdullahi Jibril seized every opportunity to persecute Christians in Nigeria. Now that he has converted to Christianity, he has become one of the persecuted.
"I was a great Muslim fundamentalist, waging war against Christians and Christianity," Jibril, 28, said. "I commanded a group of 15 anti-Christians, and we went about disrupting church crusades in Kano."
While still a Muslim, Jibril acquired voodoo powers from witch doctors. These occult powers, he said, assisted him greatly in his persecution of Christians.
However, on December 14, 1996, everything changed.
"There was this crusade going on in Koki in Kano state, and my group and I were determined to stop it," Jibril said. "When we got to this crusade ground, I was supposed to order my group to swing into action, being the leader. But as I stepped onto the ground, I immediately became weak, and began to shake."
Confused by what was happening, Jibril left the crusade ground and returned home. There the problem worsened. Then, for some unexplainable reason, Jibril picked up the Bible he'd used in arguing with Christians, and began to read. Conviction for his crimes gripped his heart.
"I then shouted, `Lord Jesus, help me!' " he said, and suddenly he experienced peace of mind. The confusion and shaking were gone.
Returning alone to the crusade ground, Jibril met secretly with a Christian pastor, confessed his sins and accepted Jesus Christ.
Because he was afraid of his parents and other Muslims, he began to go to church secretly, but go to the mosque openly. However, two months later, in February, 1997, he decided to fully embrace Christ and abandon his Islamic faith. He stopped going to the mosque and devoted his time to attending church activities.
His parents noticed and asked him, "Are you now a Christian?" Deciding to be bold, Jibril confirmed his parents' fears.
"They have disowned me," Jibril said, "and so I have been forced to leave home. Since then, I have been moving around the country, trying to escape persecution and preaching the goodness of Jesus Christ to others."
The African country of Nigeria has a population of 107 million, approximately 50% Muslim and 50% Christian. There is officially freedom of religion, but nevertheless some persecution of Christians takes place. This article was distributed by Compass Direct, an international news agency.
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