Boko Haram on Our Church Bus?

It was a bright Sunday morning and the designated BRT bus to our church waited at the bus stop for church members to board before it took off.

We had decided to follow the bus this particular Sunday. There’s nothing as relaxing (most especially for me) as just sitting in a bus getting driven to church rather than driving through the mad streets of Lagos by myself. By the time I got to church after driving myself, I would have felt the ‘hangover’ of the riotous Lagos cruising.

I, wifey and the kids were comfortably seated and when the bus eventually got filled, the driver starts the engine and we take off. A brother stands up to lead members in prayers and then hands over to a little girl to lead us in choruses as we progressed to church.

Soon everybody was singing along happily, praising God for his goodness. Not everybody sang though; some just nodded along to the song, some ignored joining in the singing and involved themselves in gists, some dozed off into a sound sleep, some just looked on forlornly out the windows. I was able to draw a conclusion from this that it’s different strokes for different folks; not everyone leaves home in the same mood for church. Only God knows what’s going on in their minds.

Soon, we got to a bus stop and two men dressed in long gowns and skull caps (which was an obvious pointer to the fact that they were Muslims) joined the bus.

This unsettled people on the bus.

What were Muslims doing on a BRT that had been chartered by the Church?

When inquiry was made we were told they were friends to the bus driver.

By now, the little girl who was leading the praise was getting tired and a brother standing near the back exit quickly took up the singing with more fire and fervor.

Then he suddenly halted the singing and led us in a prayer session calling on all to begin to pray against terrorists and Boko Haram. Instantly, the bus became agog as everyone began to spit fire and curse the enemy and his agents.

At this point, I had come to understand that there was suspicion over the fact that these guys could be Boko Haram.

Or what on earth were they doing on our bus?

I joined in the prayer session. I had been singing along and praising God as well so I was already geared up to pray fervently. The last thing I’d ever want to think was I and my cute little family colliding with bomb terrorists.

We arrived at another bus stop in the heat of the prayers and the two Muslim men disembarked quickly. The bus then progressed further but the brother leading the prayer did not stop there, he rounded up the prayer and directed instant proclamations and spiritual judgment against any bus driver who was collaborating with any terrorist.

The ‘Amen’ echoed strongly throughout the bus.

 He then led us into a prayer of thanksgiving for journey mercies as we arrived safely at the outskirts of the church entrance.

Thank God for protection and preservation of life.

Looking back, I can understand the vigilance that happened at that point in time. Though we couldn’t be sure whether those men were really Boko Haram loyalists but then it was better we didn’t take the incident for granted and that we reacted accordingly. This also coupled with the fact that the act was downright suspicious.

With all the heartless attacks on churches in the north, news and rumours of the terrorist sect planning to invade the Southern parts of Nigeria, we can’t afford to take anything for granted.

This is no longer the era of siddon look!