Foundation Tasks Tinubu On Leah Sharibu

The Para-Mallam Peace Foundation has urged President Bola Tinubu to make the release of Leah Sharibu an urgent national priority before the end of his tenure.

Leah is the 110 schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State eight years ago.

The abduction which came barely four years after the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, shocked the world. While 104 of the Dapchi girls were released after one month, Leah, reportedly the only Christian among them, was held back for refusing to renounce her faith.

In a statement on Friday, the president and chief executive officer of the foundation, Revd Dr Gideon Para-Mallam, said although Tinubu had invested in strengthening the military and improving security, those efforts would remain incomplete for families whose daughters are still in captivity.

He said families like Leah’s were still waiting for “tangible answers and reprieve”.

Para-Mallam also called on the international community to sustain principled engagement until Leah and others in captivity regain their freedom.

“The world must not forget Leah and many others in various captivity in Nigeria,” he said.

He urged faith leaders across religious divides to unite and intensify advocacy for the release of all women and girls held by insurgents.

Quoting holocaust survivor and writer, Elie Wiesel, he warned against silence in the face of injustice.

“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented,” he quoted.

“She has lost her freedom, her education and her innocence,” Para-Mallam said.

He described Leah’s continued captivity as a national indictment and a painful reminder of promises yet to be fulfilled.

According to him, the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari made commitments towards securing her release, but public updates gradually faded.

“Every year since 2018, we have chosen to speak Leah’s name and remind the world that a mother is still missing her daughter,” he said.

He disclosed that Leah’s mother, Mrs Rebecca Sharibu, had recently reached out again, holding on to hope despite the long years of silence.

“Eight years is too long for anyone to endure such fate, how much more a young girl?” he added.