The Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram is known for invading villages and giving the residents the option to convert to Islam or die.  What has not been known is the extent of the brutality this group has used to try and get conversions, along with why so many people seem to give in to their demands.

A Christian man, John Yakuba, had fled the city of Gwoza with his family when the terrorists first began to invade.  He and his family had to leave everything behind in the rush to get away and save their lives.

Unfortunately, his family was unable to find a place to live that would support them so he had to return to the village to see if he could recapture some of their livestock.

The terrorists seized him before he could even make it to his former home.

“You must convert to Islam or else you will die a painful death,” he was told.

“You can kill my body, but not my soul,” Yakuba repied.

The terrorists then methodically began slashing his body with a machete.  His hands, then his back, then his feet.  All the time asking if he would follow Allah.  When it became clear the man would not deny the Savior Jesus Christ, they hit him in the knee and head with an axe and left him for dead when he passed out.

In what can only be described as a miracle, someone spotted Yakuba tied to a tree three days after the assault and Yakuba was alive.  He is currently recovering in a hospital in a safe area of the country.

“I have forgiven the Islamic militants because they did not know what they are doing,” Yakuba told witnesses at the hospital.