Emmanuel, a member of St James Episcopal Church in Aberdeen City Centre, shares his incredible story and how his connection to God stabilised him during a period of significant hardship.
A beloved and inspiring member of our Diocese, Chijioke Emmanuel Amobi (Emmanuel) is a Robert Gordon University graduate, having completed his Master’s in data science. Currently working as a Care Support worker, demonstrating his natural inclination to look after others, Emmanuel has his sights set on leading his own Data Processing company.
Before coming to us in Aberdeen, Emmanuel experienced a period of life-changing hardship. But despite this, his relationship with his religion gave him strength during the darkest of times.
Brought up within the Church of Nigeria – incidentally Africa’s largest Anglican province – Emmanuel originally dreamt of becoming a doctor. Leaving Nigeria at age 16, Emmanuel moved to Ukraine to undergo training. After finding medical studies not to his taste, Emmanuel switched to Computer Science, where he found a new passion, remaining in East Ukraine as an international student.
However, in 2014, after fighting between Government forces and Russian separatists broke out in his city of residence, international students were advised to leave with immediate effect. After taking cover from gunfire and combat ongoing in the street, Emmanuel moved quickly to meet with other students in preparation for leaving. But, before they had the chance to escape, they were confronted by heavily armed Russian separatists, and his life in Ukraine changed.
Speaking with Revd Roger Dyer, Emmanuel was brave enough to recount his experiences that led him to our community.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up in Nigeria, where I was a proud attendee at the Church of Nigeria. At 16, I decided it was the right time to move and pursue my ambitions of becoming a doctor. While I did explore the UK as an option to go through training, Ukraine was a much more feasible option. After transitioning to a career focused on Computer Science, I eventually did make my way to the UK, where I have now called Scotland my home for the last four years.
Throughout my journey, faith has provided a constant respite and support. I have now become part of the Scottish Episcopal Church, with St James in Aberdeen City Centre as my place of worship. Since the Church of Nigeria and the SEC are both part of the Anglican Communion, it’s been pleasant to see how both churches share a very similar worship style.
I have been welcomed by my new community at St James and am grateful for the friendships and support I am finding there.
Can you talk us through your experiences in Ukraine and the dramatic change of circumstances that occurred in 2014?
Originally, I moved to Ukraine to support my ambition to become a doctor. Although I found myself reassessing my career options and the path I wanted to take, Ukraine remained my home. It was in Eastern Ukraine that I decided to explore new learning opportunities.
While I had many positive experiences as an international student, tensions between the Ukrainian government and Russian separatist forces sent my life into disarray. Once fighting broke out in the city, we were urged to move quickly to escape. This was not easy with intensive gunfire and combat occurring in the streets.
After taking refuge, I made the decision to meet with fellow international students to get out of the city. Before we could make our move, though, we were confronted by heavily armed Russian forces who breached the house we were occupying with shouts to ‘heads on the wall’ and ‘hands above your heads’. While I had quickly hidden, I realised I had been discovered when one of the individuals pressed a gun against my head.
Alongside the other students, we were abducted and held in a house, accused of being American spies, and threatened with being taken to Moscow. The conditions we were exposed to were incredibly difficult to comprehend, including being required to drink from the toilet bowl as it was the only supply available. I thought I was going to die in this house. Out of the group abducted, I was the only one who was fluent in Russian, so there was great pressure on me to act as negotiator with our captors.
Throughout the hardship experienced, I spent much of the time talking with God as a means to try to make it through. Thanks to my connection to God, I came to a place of peace in the feeling that whatever happened, whether I made it out alive or not, it was all in God’s hands, and I was ready to accept His will. My only request of God was that my family back in Nigeria would have the fortitude to bear whatever happened. It was during this experience that I promised to serve God and humanity as much as I was able, if I survived this ordeal.
After six days in captivity within the horrible conditions and under the watch of the separatist army, we were told that the Commander would decide on what would happen to us in the morning. The uncertainty of not knowing what was going to happen was too much to bear, and I pleaded on behalf of the group to protest our innocence. We had never been to America or had any connection with America.
That day, after begging for our innocence, I was released from captivity and back onto the streets of Ukraine with nothing but the clothes I was wearing at the time of my capture. Without a phone or any of my belongings, I felt lost. It wasn’t long after I was released that the last train out of the city was departing – heading west before closure of the station. I had to make a quick decision to leave there and then.
Thankfully, a kind stranger gave me the fare for the train, and I got on board the packed train, standing for the full seven-hour journey. Upon arriving in central Ukraine, although I was safe, I found that I was unable to speak for three days.
What went on between you and God during this experience?
I believe that God alone brought me out of captivity and gave me the strength to keep going. I am adamant that there was no Government intervention and that no ransom was paid on behalf of myself or the international students alongside me.
This was a traumatic and life-changing experience. But the reason I am happy to talk about it and the reason that I am still here is because of God. I want Him to receive the praise for how this situation turned out.
I hope that in hearing my story, others will take the encouragement and belief to those seeking to live as Christians. A life in the Church doesn’t mean that there won’t be challenges and difficult experiences, but God will be alongside you throughout it all.
The Diocese of A & O would like to thank Emmanuel for allowing us to share his story. Emmanuel recently gave his testimony at St James the Less, Aberdeen, on the occasion of his Affirmation of Holy Baptism for Confirmation. Friends and worshippers responded with warm, spontaneous applause in support of Emmanuel and in praise of God who had brought him through.
