Boko Haram Victims: Where’s Leah Sharibu?

A lot of deafening silence has foreshadowed the 16th birthday of one of the Dapchi Girls, Leah Sharibu, who has been in captivity after being kidnapped by Boko Haram along with 110 others in the nick of insurgency in the Northern region of Nigeria.

Leah Shaibu is a Nigerian Christian born into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Sharibu. Leah, a good-fearing girl and staunch Christian reportedly pulled out a strong resistance not to denounce her faith upon her abduction which formed the basis of her lingering detention by the terror group.

Concerned citizens have expressed their bitterness in the way the case of the teenager has lingered without a positive outcome. This has triggered a series of questions about the life of Leah, who has spent over five years in the hands of the terrorist group. “Where is Leah Sharibu”? Has the Nigerian government forgotten about Leah?

According to the report by the PUNCH the parents of Leah Sharibu, the only Dapchi girl still being held by Boko Haram terrorists on May 2023, called on Nigerians and lovers of freedom all over the world to pray for her safe return as she marks her 16th birthday on Monday.

The plea of Leah Sharibu’s parents in a telephone interview with the PUNCH said they (parents) would fast and pray, adding that Nigerians should join them in offering special prayers for her safety and ‘timely’ return.

Meanwhile, concerned citizens could not bear the discomfort the Sharibu family has been going through for years, following the invasion and abduction of 110 female pupils of the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State on February 19, 2018, by Boko Haram terrorists.

Five years and counting, the little Leah has not returned to her parents nor been released from captivity. Various reports have implied that Leah is alive and well but her dilemma might have endured enough to making her a ‘child-woman’.
This, therefore, throws more concern about the deafening silence of government and societies amid such evil and condemnable situations.

It would be recalled that the former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari was reportedly accused by Sharibu’s family of complacency about her release.

The family had lamented the hesitation in negotiating the release of Leah when the 105 of the girls were returned within a record time, blaming Buhari for not doing enough in the case of Leah.

Their ululation was consequent upon the promise by the former president that Leah would be released, but did not fulfill his pledge after the other 105 Dapchi girls regained freedom.

One of the citizens including Reno Omokri has kept calling for the freedom of Leah Shaibu. Omokri who then referred to himself as Buharitormentor champions the campaign of #freeLeah.

Amid the scenarios surrounding the teenager who has reportedly become a mother pertinent question remains: Where’s Leah Shaibu?