Leah’s Abduction: Nigeria now on a watch list of religious right violators

Leah's Abduction: Nigeria now on a watch list of religious right violators

NIGERIA

The abduction of Leah Sharibu has placed Nigeria on a special watch list of religious right violation, the LEAH Foundation’s Executive Director, Dr. Gloria Puldu, has said.

It would be recalled that on the 19th of December 2019, Nigeria was placed on the United States Special Watch-List (SWL) for governments that have engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.

However, Puldu said the international communities are not insensitive to the plight of Leah whom the Nigerian government has failed to rescue from the hands of its abductors.

She said: “Since the Nigerian government has failed to rescue the kidnapped Dapchi school girl, who despite persecution by the dread sect of Boko Haram, refused to renounce her Christian faith, we took it upon ourselves to cry out to the international community for help”.

Puldu who spoke to Sky News Africa’s correspondent in Nigeria’s northcentral Plateau State, said the federal government has failed the parents of Leah, adding that the whole world is waiting to see how the Buhari led administration will redeem its name by negotiating the freedom of Miss Sharibu.

According to her, “Today 14th May 2020, Leah clocked 17 years old. This is her 3rd birthday in captivity. She was taken into captivity when she was 14 years.

“The federal government has not kept to their promise, even though it took Buhari eight months to finally speak to Leah’s parents and that was through a phone call.

“Buhari assured that he will do all he can to secure her release and that no effort would be spared to ensure her rescue, but the President’s promise has not been kept”, she said.

LEAH FOUNDATION also known as Empowerment Advocacy & Humanitarian Foundation, in collaboration with IICON, has also done more work on Buhari’s wife Aisha, and the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to prevail on the federal government to ensure Leah’s freedom.

“Leah’s parents are going through a lot especially when they hear that their daughter has put to bed, or has been converted to Islam.

“Since Leah’s abduction, no government official in Nigeria has reached out to her parents, only the Church, well-meaning Nigerians and NGO’s”, Puldu said

Our correspondent reports that Leah has been held hostage in the hands of Boko Haram who abducted and released 104 Dapchi school girls in Yobe State northeastern Nigeria, but kept back Leah because of her resolved to remain a Christian.

Leah will be spending her 17th birthday in the detention of Boko Haram, a tale too sad to tell by her parents, Nathan and Rebecca Sharibu.

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