Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
A pastor with the Living Faith Church, Moses Oyeleke, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram in Borno has recounted his ordeal in the camp of the insurgents.
Oyeleke who was abducted with a National Youth Service Corps member in the southern part of Borno on April 10 by Boko Haram was released on Sunday evening. Oyeleke, said he was almost executed by the insurgents during his nearly seven month stay with his abductors.
“I was almost executed by the Boko Haram. My survival is an act of God. They told us one day they were going to kill us but they changed their mind later,” he told The Sun.
Oyeleke, and another teenage school girl, Ndagilaya Ibrahim Umar were handed over to the Borno government by the Department of State Service (DSS).
“They didn’t manhandle me; they gave me food, but most times I don’t eat, I was always praying and fasting
“They asked me to stop my prayers and be praying like them. I told them we are doing the same prayers to the same God that owns all of us. So they left me,” he said.
Oyeleke said anytime the insurgents preached to him, he was paid attention to that they said and never argued with them nor ask questions, which made one of the insurgents to developed interest in him.
He disclosed that the corps member abducted with him was still with the insurgents, calling for prayers for his release.
Oyeleke said he was kidnapped alongside the corps member few metres to a deserted petrol station near Bama in the central part of Borno.
“We were going to Chibok on that day and as we were approaching the bridge, few metres away from a deserted petrol station, the insurgents ambushed us. We were driven into Sambisa bush where we spent most part of the seven months.”
Fourteen years old Ndagilaya Ibrahim Umar, said she was 13 when the insurgents abducted her. She was abducted in her village near Lassa at Askira/Uba Local Government. She was a student at the Government Science Secondary School, Askira Uba
“I spent nine months with them (Boko Haram), “ she said explaining she was neither violated nor forced into marriage with any of the insurgents.
“I saw some young girls being given in marriage by Boko Haram,” she said.
The release was negotiated by some local non governmental organisations.
“We have been working hard to secure their release; thank God today they have been set free. We went through processes before we secured their release,” Kalthum Umar founder of Kalthum Foundation for Peace.
Borno deputy governor, Usman Kadafur while receiving the released victims commanded the security operatives and the local NGOs.
The Sun learnt that the processes for securing the release of the pastor and teenager was initiated by the state government with ransom allegedly paid to Boko Haram.