— The emotional journey of Maureen J, a miracle survivor turned gospel singer
On January 27, 2002, the city of Lagos was shaken to its core by a devastating bomb blast that left hundreds dead and many more traumatized. Among the sea of chaos and confusion that followed, one young woman narrowly escaped death in what can only be described as a miracle. Her name is Maureen Onwuka (Maureen J), a gospel singer whose music is born not just of talent, but of deep gratitude for divine mercy.
Today, Maureen, the Umukparo, Mbala Isuochi-born gospel artiste, stands not only as a survivor but as a living testimony of grace. Her song, “How Do I Kelee Gi?”-, a poignant blend of English and Igbo, meaning “How do I thank You?”— is more than a melody. It is a sacred vow. A fulfilled promise. A cry of thanksgiving wrapped in song.
The Day Everything Changed
On that fateful day, Maureen had no idea her life was about to be changed forever. She had stepped out for her usual evangelism, going door to door, sharing about God’s faithfulness, when panic suddenly erupted. Loud explosions tore through the city, and people began running in every direction. Swept up in the chaos, she followed the crowd blindly until they reached a canal near Ajao Estate.
“I didn’t know how to swim,” Maureen recalls. “Where I come from, swimming isn’t something we grow up learning. So, I stood frozen, terrified, watching people leap into the canal to escape.”
But panic doesn’t wait for permission. The crowd surged again, and Maureen was pushed into the canal.
What happened next was surreal.
“I found myself stepping on bodies. People who had already drowned. It was like walking on human carpet, and I didn’t even know at first,” she says, her voice trembling. “Some were grabbing at me, trying to come up, but every time someone held my leg, I felt myself going under.”
In that terrifying moment, all Maureen could do was pray.
“I screamed, ‘Lord, remember me! I was just out telling people about You! Please show me mercy!’”
And mercy came in the form of a stranger.
A Mysterious Rescuer
“Out of nowhere, a man appeared in the water. I don’t know how he swam in that chaos, but he reached for me. I held on to him, begging, ‘Please don’t let me die.’ He promised to help.”
That unnamed man guided her to the edge of the canal and lifted her out. Then he vanished.
“When I turned to thank him, he was gone. Just like that,” she says, still bewildered over two decades later. “I don’t know who he was. I believe he was an angel.”
Standing amidst lifeless bodies — children, men, women, Maureen knew she had just witnessed something divine. She ran and ran until she found herself at Ikotun, far from the blast site.
The next morning, she saw the horror replayed on television — the same canal she had fallen into, filled with bodies. “That’s when it truly hit me. I had died and come back. Only God could have saved me.”
A Promise Turned Song
In the days that followed, Maureen made a solemn vow to God: “I will tell the world what You did for me.”
Initially, she shared her story through spoken word, but she knew that her voice could go farther through music. So, she prayed for a song, and “How Do I Kelee Gi?” was born.
“This song is my thanksgiving. I knew that words alone couldn’t carry the weight of my testimony, so I poured it into music,” she says.
The title itself — a fusion of English and Igbo — is intentional. “Some ask why I mixed languages, and I say, ‘Because what God did for me is too great to explain in just one language.’ I wanted people to ask, so I could tell them my story.”
A Voice That Refuses To Be Silenced
Maureen wrote the song two to three years after the incident. At the time she recorded it, it didn’t gain much attention, but she didn’t stop. She continued to tell her story, determined to honour the vow she made in the darkness of that canal.
Now, over two decades after the harrowing incident, she’s relaunching the song she did a couple of years ago, with new resolve.
“This song is my flagship. I want to push it out properly this time, so the world will hear not just my voice, but my testimony,” she says with conviction.
Her music is already available on platforms like Audiomack and CD Baby, and she’s working to make it even more accessible. Listeners consistently respond with heartfelt emotion.
“People keep asking me, ‘Why haven’t you launched this fully?’ Their encouragement is one of the reasons I’m doing it now. I want to reach as many as possible.”
Maureen plans to officially launch “How Do I Kelee Gi?” in August this year.
Music As A Calling
Maureen’s love for music didn’t begin in 2002, but the bomb blast gave her voice a new purpose.
“I’ve always been in the choir. From childhood, in every church I joined, singing was my calling. But after the blast, it became more than a gift — it became a mission.”
Today, she sings not just for the church, but for the world. Her influences include Nigerian gospel icons like Mercy Chinwo, Sinach, and Nathaniel Bassey.
“They move me to worship. Their songs touch my soul. That’s the kind of impact I want my music to have too, to move people toward God.”
A Song, A Story, A Life Spared
Maureen J’s journey is one of pain, panic, and ultimately, praise. “How Do I Kelee Gi?” is not just a song, it’s a monument to God’s faithfulness, carved in melody.
It is a reminder that sometimes, in the midst of tragedy, miracles happen. And when they do, the only proper response is to sing.