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#BringBackOurGirls statement on Leah Sharibu’s Proof of Life Audio

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ZUUF 637

30th August 2018

Our movement followed news of a recent audio recording and photograph of Leah Sharibu released on the 27th of August 2018 by the online medium – The Cable attributed to Ahmed Salkida, a journalist who frequently reports on the North East terrorist war.

In the audio a young woman who introduced herself as Leah Sharibu said the following in Hausa Language:

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I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation,”

I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, my father, my younger brother and relatives. Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion, I am calling on the government, particularly, the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation. Thank you.”

Following this significant development, our Movement, #BringBackOurGirls, reached out to Leah Sharibu’s father for his confirmation of the photograph and the voice. Mr Nathan Sharibu confirmed to us that both the person photographed and the voice recorded are his daughter, Leah Sharibu who has been missing since February 2018.

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Today is day 191 since March 15, 2018 when Leah Sharibu became the only one out of the 111 #Dapchi School Girls that were victims of that abduction tragedy. Sadly, Leah Sharibu was reported by the Federal Government to have been withheld by her abductors for according to her schoolmates, “refusing to renounce her faith and convert to another religion” when they released the rest 105 and alleged 5 others dead.

Our movement is at least delighted to know by virtue of the audio recording that Leah is alive and desperate to be rescued by the President. We are however incensed at the obvious insensitivity of the Federal Government – and especially the Presidency – to the plight of Leah Sharibu and her parents. There is no excuse worthy of any consideration that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari can offer to attenuate their failure to give justice of rescue to Leah Sharibu.

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Why is the young woman who stood on her conviction abandoned by her government in the hands of terrorists? What is Leah Sharibu’s offense that made the Federal Government accept a negotiation that included her being left behind when others were rescued? When was the last time the Federal Government provided updates on tangible efforts to rescue Leah Sharibu to her parents and the Nigerian People beyond the recent abdication of that duty to God but the Presidency? Does the unfair treatment of Leah Sharibu not again raise questions of inequity in the actions of this administration? We ask again, “Where is Leah Sharibu and when will she be retrieved from her captors like her classmates, Mr President?”

Our campaign #BringBackOurGirls again urgently demands that President Muhammadu Buhari to keep the promise made several months ago and bring back Leah Sharibu. We wish to also remind the President of our 112 remaining #ChibokGirls now abducted for 1,599 days today and the humanitarian workers – nurses/ midwives – who were abducted while providing support to internally displaced persons.

We shall continue with our multiple measures aimed at compelling the Federal Government to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, ChibokGirls, Rann Women and all other victims of abduction.

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Signed: For and on behalf of the #BringBackOurGirls Group

FLORENCE OZOR
OBY EZEKWESILI
AISHA YESUFU

 

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