From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Gideon & Funmi Para-Mallam Foundation, and the LEAH Foundation, have intensified campaign for the release of Leah Sharibu, five years after her adoption.
Sharibu was one of the 109 students of Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, adopted in February 19, 2018. One month later, 104 of the kidnapped girls were released, but Leah remained in captivity for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.
Speaking at the fifth year anniversary, yesterday, in Abuja, CAN President, Rev. Daniel Okoh, said Christians would not be dampened by her incarceration.
Represented by the Founder, Gideon &Funmi Para-Mallam, Gideon Para-Mallam, Okoh said: “Once again, like we have done every year since 2018, we are marking the fifth anniversary of the continued detention of the young Dapchi girl, Leah Sharibu, in Boko Haram captivity on the account of her faith.
“As a nation, we must arise and speak up against every form of injustice, no matter who is involved. We must demand better life from our leaders. We must speak out against injustice and for fairness until every Nigerian is free from oppression. I implore everyone to make good use of the opportunity the forthcoming election presents to elect leaders who will not pay deaf ears to the cries of the common people.”
Meanwhile, the Gideon Para-Mallam Foundation Founder, Para-Mallam, said government’s inability to rescue Sharibu typified its failure.
“So, the president will need to act until he brings Leah. If in the end he does not, the record will speak for itself. It is a total failure. But we pray it doesn’t end in failure. We pray that it ends in success. Because we are christians and we believe God that all things are possible through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Meanwhile, President, Leadership Empowerment Advocacy Humanitarian Foundation (LEAH), Dr Gloria Puldu, stated that all the presidential candidates in the scheduled February 25 poll must make policy statements on what they will do to release the captive.
“It is a shame that five years down the line, we are still calling on the government for the release of Leah. It is like a broken promise. They have given us a promise five years ago that they were going to release Leah. But down the line, it has not been fulfilled. And they have less than 100 days to go. But like Reverend said, they still have time to get Leah released,” she added.