Having spent exactly four years in Boko Haram captivity, the parents of Leah Sharibu, on Saturday, reiterated their demand for the Federal Government to fulfil its promise and secure her freedom from the insurgents.
While demanding the safe release of their daughter, Nathan and Rebecca Sharibu said they did not want to believe that the recent promises by the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari “are as empty as those that have been made before.”
Leah was one of the 110 female students of the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, who were abducted on February 19, 2018, by Boko Haram terrorists.
While others were released by the terrorists following negotiations, Leah, who was 14 years old at the time, is still being held captive for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.
The traumatised parents made the submissions in a statement titled, ‘An Appeal’, signed by their spokesperson and President of the Leah Foundation, Dr Gloria Puldu.
The statement read in part, “Nathan and Rebecca Sharibu hereby call upon the leaders of Nigeria to expedite the safe release of their daughter, Leah Sharibu, who has been held hostage against her will in the past four years. Specifically, we address our most urgent appeals to General Farouk Yahaya, Chief of Army Staff, who only recently went on record by assuring the nation that Leah would soon be rescued. Nearly one month has now passed since General Yahaya’s statement and nothing has changed.
“As a family, we do not want to be quick to make public statements or accusations, especially when such prominent military leaders have so assuredly promised us that Leah would be returned to us, and that they truly were concerned for her welfare. When we hear such promises, hopes are raised beyond any ability to describe or put into words, and we can only imagine that our long nightmare is coming to an end and that soon, we will be rejoicing as we embrace our beloved daughter and weep tears of joy.
“We also imagine how grateful we will be to the Buhari administration on that day, and to the tens and hundreds of thousands of Nigerians and people from around the world, who have upheld us, advocated for Leah, and spent many hours in prayer, writing letters, or speaking out on her behalf.
“A total of 1377 days have passed since that terrible afternoon of February 19, 2018, when Leah was taken hostage from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College located in Dapchi, days of holding our breath, clinging to hope, and sleepless dreams.
“How can our leaders go about their days or sleep easily at night knowing that the safety and security of our people is lessening every day, not just in northern Nigeria, but even in the most southern parts of our country?
“What is the legacy that General Buhari and his cabinet and ministers are writing for future generations to study and read? Will our leaders be remembered, not for what they have done, but what they have failed to do?”
