It was the greatest test of my life and I still have nightmares from that experience. The leader of the group stopped and looked at me, then he asked me if I love my husband? I told him yes. He then asked if I loved my first son? I answered yes sir. He asked me to choose between this two options "Either my eldest son sleeps with me or my husband's both arms would be chopped off". I was scared and didn't know what to say or do. This is my story and it hunts me till this day as my son too can't look at me in the eyes anymore.

I and my husband are not rich but we've never begged for food. God has been faithful and he has provided all our needs. We have been blessed with three kids, 2 boys and 1 girl. My first and second are boys and the girl is my last child. And we have been married for 17 years.

My husband is a civil servant and I am a fashion designer who is very good at what I do. I have my shop close to my house and have a room in my house I converted to my office at home.

My husband was doing this project at the time of this incident. There was a huge amount of money at his disposal to be given the next day to workers on the building site. Since the next day was Saturday, he decided to come home with the money so he can leave as early as possible on Saturday morning.

It was a Friday evening and we had just finished eating our dinner. My first son, my husband and I were still in the sitting room while the rest had gone to bed when we heard a knock on the gate. It was a few minutes to 9 pm and I wondered who would be knocking at that time of the day. I usually stop attending to my customers by 8pm daily. My son went to see who was at the gate. While We thought it would be one of the neighbors who wanted something and couldn't wait, well it wasn't. They were armed robbers.

Next thing we saw was a gun on our son's head with an escort. They were 5 in numbers and they were all armed. They told us to lye down quietly and we did. I was so scared because I've seen this in movies and I know how it ends. They would shoot us and kill us in the end. So I thought as I prayed quietly in my heart.

My husband never told me he brought any money home because he didn't want me to whisper it to anyone even by mistake. How they got to know about that money is still surprising to my husband till this moment.

They asked my husband where the money is and he played dumb. He pretended not to know what they were talking about and asked what money? That was when the one who seemed to be in charge went for our last daughter and told my husband to choose his next words wisely. He then asked again where the money was? My husband quietly told them he was going to bring the money. He was escorted by another man and they went to our room where he brought out the money in a small black bag and gave it to them.

When the boss got the money, He asked why my husband wanted to play with his intelligence?. He said he was going to purnish us for that.

First he said we should deliberate and pick who was going to die. I cried and begged him. By this time, we were all lying in the middle of the sitting room and they surrounded us. After much begging, he then told me to come closer.

I was kicked on my back by the other ones to go close to their boss and be quick about it. When I crawled to where he was, he then whispered to me "do you love your husband"? I said yes. He asked again "what about your son"? I said I love him too. He now gave me the shocker of my life when he said, choose one or everyone dies.

"It is Either you allow your son sleep with you or we chop off your husband's hands". This is fair he said. He said if I beg him for forgiveness he was going to kill me an everyone. He really meant it this time as they all prepared to shoot.

I looked at my husband, then I looked at my son. My daughter was too young and I thought if dying was a better option. Withing this short time I had to make my choice, my whole life flashed right before my eyes. Guess I didn't know what I was doing but I allow my son sleep with me to save my husband any physical injury and the whole family.

They made my son take off everything he had and I did thesame too. They also made it compulsory for my children and my husband to watch. My son was beaten before he succumbed. He was crying as he did it. With every stroke, he was flogged and when they were satisfied watching they left.

They didn't touch anyone that day. We were all very owke physically but not emotionally because my son became wounded in his heart. He couldn't look at me and I also felt really ashamed of myself like it wasn't under pressure that we did what we did. My husband couldn't talk to him, he didn't want to be with anyone or talk. Because he is still a child, he blames his dad for not doing the needful and we paid the price.

This thing has affected my once happy family. My son is mad at me and his father, my husband too is acting funny towards me as if I had a better option and didn't take it. It's been almost 6 months since this happen but my home hasn't recovered from this yet. I am so helpless right now especially because my son is so affected by this. And my husband would not touch me like I carry some kind of infection or something.

Maybe I made the wrong decision. I should have gone for the other option then my husband would have appreciated my effort. Don't know what to do.