By Our Correspondent
A Nigerian man, Olajiire Omotola Francis, has narrated how he narrowly escaped death after allegedly being abducted, tortured, and threatened by individuals he said were pressuring him to convert to Islam.
Speaking about his experience, Francis said the threats began after he repeatedly refused demands from some community members to attend a mosque and embrace Islam. According to him, the pressure soon escalated into hostility and open death threats.
“Soon, I began facing intense pressure to attend the mosque and convert to Islam. When I refused, several people became hostile and threatened to kill me if I did not accept Islam,” he recalled.
He added that at the same time, he continued receiving threatening phone calls from men in Ile-Ife, who he claimed were actively searching for him.
The situation took a violent turn a few months later. Around 6:00 a.m., while neighbours were returning from early morning prayers, a group of armed men allegedly invaded his compound.
“They killed the guard dog and forced their way inside. I was beaten severely and abducted to a nearby forest, where they tortured me and left me bleeding and unconscious,” he said. “They kept saying in Hausa that they would kill me because I am a Christian.”
Francis said a friend’s sister who attempted to intervene was also attacked.
He eventually regained consciousness hours later and struggled back to the house in pain and fear.
Despite the brutality of the attack, he said he did not report the incident to the police, explaining that he feared law enforcement might fail to protect him or even reveal his location to those he believed were after him.
“From that day, I lived in constant fear,” he said. “I could not sleep at night, often woke up shaking from nightmares, and began to lose hope that I could ever live safely in my country again.”
The authorities have not yet commented on the allegations.
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