By Thomas Peretu
You probably may not believe in miracles. Several persons don’t. But I do. Exceptionally, so. Given the unsual circumstances I found myself.
Indeed, I am proud to say unequivocally that I am a product of miracles. I mean constistent, jaw dropping, mind blowing miracles. Forgive my self-conceit.
Just as many of you are living testimonies of life changing miracles.
Howbeit, the great God, we serve is still in the business of intervening in the affairs of men. Often times when all hopes are lost and your defences are broken down irreversibly, that’s when He appears on the scene in all splendor and majesty. To do the needful at the nick of time.
Or how else does one explain blind Abel’s recent gory encounter with the dare-devil, sons-of-a-bitch, gun totting kidnappers along the Olamaboro-Enugu high way? Olamaboro is in Kogi State. And Kogi state has unwittingly acquired a new reputation of being the epi centre of kidnapping. This is one reputation too many adorned by the confluence state.
Unfortunately, Kogi is the gate way to every parts of the south. Perhaps it is another safe haven for bandits and kidnappers.
No thanks to government’s inability to smoke them out of the scrubs and forests of the state. It is now a fortress of some sort.
Abel Okechukwu like every other Bar aspirant had just finished writing his Bar Final Examinations on the 19th of December 2025. Blind Abel as I always call him without any offence meant, was no doubt in a very high spirit and enthusiastic about exiting from the regimented lifestyle of the Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus. He was keen on re-uniting with his siblings, his seventy something year-old, dotting mother and most especially his adorable girl friend.
So, a few days after the school’s send-off cocktail party with the erudite Director-General, Prof. Hayatu Ciroma, Abel boarded a public transport, a 24 seater bus from Abuja to Enugu.
No premonitions. No untoward thoughts. It was a pleasant and jolly ride to Lokoja despite the rough and tough ride due in part to the age-old potholes and the heavy traffic on that fateful day.
At about 7.00pm when they got close to Olamaboro, s sleepy village on the deserted highway. At this point the traffic had thined out. No on-comoming vehicles in sight and none was coming behind them. The driver was a little bit hesitant. Unsure what lies ahead. Emboldened by the youngsters in the front seat, he peddaled on. No sooner, they drove pass Olamaboro a staccato of gunshot rended air. He was disoriented and so were the passangers. The shots Sent shivers down the spine of each person on board. That was when they realised that they have been bracketed by the kidnappers. It was a catch 20 20 situation. So, the driver pretenteded to pause a little to study his ambiance. He saw one of the bandits weilding a gun in front of the vehicle. On the spur of the moment, he accelerated at a break-neck speed almost hitting the guy. The gun man had to dash into the bush for safety.
The driver courageously drove off despite the gale of bullets that trailed the bus. By the time, they got to a military check- point, the vehicle had been riddled with bullet holes. Let me leave you to imagine the anxiety and trauma visited upon the commuters at that gate of hell. As could be expected, many wailed and shouted Jesus, Jesus. Where hath thiu, the God of Oyedepo? Many railed incantations and libations to silence the intruders. Of course, hell was let loose. Everything was upside down as Fela would say.
And guess what? None of the passengers had a scratch or an injury even though they saw the bullets flying about like bees from a beehive.
That is the story of this brilliant young man named Abel the blind boy. The pride of Ebonyin State.
Abel graduated from University of Nigeria, Nsukka with a second class upper degree in Law, last year. Despite his disability, he dwarfed his sighted course mates.
Is this not a practical and remarkable intervention of a merciful God? Indeed, Allah is most gracious and most merciful. Praises be unto Him alone.
Masha Allah
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