- Her case and that of others still in captivity should return to the front burner
From Leah Sharibu, one of the 110 girls abducted from Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19 came a passionate appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari: please rescue me. Sharibu, the only Christian among the abducted students reportedly said in an audio message that has been confirmed by her parents as authentic: “I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation.
“I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, my father, my younger brother and relatives. Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion, I am calling on the government, particularly, the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation. Thank you.”
It was a case of different folks, different strokes, when the girls were returned to Dapchi by their Boko Haram abductors on May 21 after negotiations with the Federal Government and some international organisations. While the parents of the girls that were returned were excited, those of five of them that had died of stress in captivity were sad. Although Sharibu survived the ordeal, her parents could not join in savouring the joy of the moment because their daughter was not freed along with the others over her refusal to renounce Christianity. She is yet to be freed.
It would appear Nigeria had gone back to sleep after the release of the students in May, as there is no more update from the government about the efforts being made by the government to free Sharibu as well as the remaining Chibok girls that had earlier been abducted by the terrorists in April 2014. It would also seem there is no communication with Sharibu’s parents, especially with the claim by her father that no government official has got in touch with them since the return of the girls. This should not be; because the impression is thus given that the government is not doing anything about the matter again. There is the need for government to constantly get in touch with the parents as this would give them the assurance that something is being done about their daughter’s plight. This is characteristically Nigerian, though; it is a country where people forget so easily.
It is against this background that we should appreciate Sharibu’s audio message. Even if she had been forgotten before, the message should serve as wake-up call on the presidency and the security agents to return to her case and others still in Boko Haram captivity. Their plight has to be returned to the front burner of national discourse.
We agree with the government that negotiations with terrorists could be tortuous since it is not a face-to-face affair, yet, everything should be done to secure Sharibu’s release. Of course, we cannot blame the government for her inability to join her colleagues freed in May, just as we cannot also blame her for remaining steadfast to her faith, resulting in her continued stay in captivity. Indeed, her tenacity of conviction based on principle is one of the requirements that is in short supply in the country.
We urge all relevant stakeholders to keep the pressure on the Federal Government until this girl is released to join her parents, brother and relatives that she craves so much to see after the forced separation from them. The government should do everything humanly possible to get the girl and others still held by Boko Haram out of captivity. The same way it should not abandon efforts at preventing a recurrence of such incidents, not only in Chibok or Dapchi, but all over the troubled spots where Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc.
