BEVERLY HILLS, September 30, (THEWILL) – The mother of Leah Sharibu, the remaining Dapchi schoolgirl in captivity, has once again appealed to the Federal Government to meet the demands of her abductors and secure her release.
Rebecca Sharibu made the appeal during a news conference in Jos on Saturday, seven months after Leah was abducted.
Leah was among the students kidnapped in February from Government Girls Secondary School, Dapchi, Yobe state.
All the abducted girls were subsequently released, except five who reportedly died in detention, but Leah was held back for “refusing to renounce her faith”.
In an emotional interaction with journalists, Leah’s mother who spoke in Hausa, pleaded with the President, the Vice President, the Secretary to the Federal Government to, please, do whatever they can to ensure that Leah is released.
“I am here on behalf of my family, particularly me and my husband to plead with the entire world, most especially the federal government, President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, and the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), to please do whatever they can to ensure that Leah is released,” Rebecca said.
“A threat has been sent out that with effect from October 2018, Leah Sharibu would be next in line to be killed. I am pleading with the Federal Government to do whatever they feel should be done to release Leah before the expiration of the ultimatum.
“Monday will be October 1. It is our desire that anybody that can do anything to free Leah should do that. We thank the entire world, most especially Nigerians for standing with the family and for their prayers on our behalf.”
Leah’s father, Nathan Sharibu, also appealed to the government to act urgently as time is running out for his daughter rejecting having any connection with any court case against the Federal Government seeking compensation over the abduction of Leah.
Earlier this month, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of Boko Haram holding Leah captive, killed Saifura Ahmed, one of the three humanitarian workers abducted in Rann, Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.
Ahmed had been abducted along with two other aid workers in March.
The terrorists threatened to kill Leah and the other aid workers in a month if the government does not meet their demands.
They claimed that they had contacted the government without getting a response.
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