On the 10th of April 2019, Oyekele set out from Maiduguri, on a directive from his church’s headquarters to deliver relief materials to internally displaced persons Camp in Chibok. A few kilometers from Bama Local Government Area, they were attacked on the way by Boko Haram terrorists who were on tree tops. The first thing they heard were gunshots. They shot at their tires and brought their trucks used in transporting the valuables to a halt.
Oyekele in his interview with the Cable revealed that the grain truck driver escaped at the will of the terrorists. Afterwards, Mr. Oyekele and other Corps member embarked on a four hour walk to the base of the terrorists, while the other driver was told to drive the food truck. While they were walking into the Boko Haram base, they were meeting other villagers in the Boko Haram settlements. They would see them and shout Allahu Akbar, happy that they were arrested. Mr. Oyekele revealed that they would sometimes give them water and allow them to rest.
Oyekele revealed to Cable that he hid his identity as a pastor to the Boko Haram terrorists because of fear, when he was questioned. He had heard of how Christians, more especially the leaders suffered gruesome deaths at the hands of terrorists. So he revealed his new identity as a farmer. However, he was moved to reveal his real identity to the terrorists, afterwhich he revealed to them that he was a pastor. The terrorists asked him why he lied to them, he replied that he had heard what they do to when they catch pastors, so he decided to hide his real identity.
Mr. Oyekele revealed that from that day he was given a different kind of treatment from the terrorists. They started seeing him in a new light and started referring to him as Baba Pastor. However, after negotiations were completed with his people, he was released at about 1am on the 10th of November, 2019, in the morning.
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