The American Center for Law and Justice
(ACLJ) is ramping up support at the United Nations for Nigerian Christian teen, Leah Sharibu, not seen since her abduction by a faction of Boko Haram insurgents 18 months ago.
Leah was kept back out of over 100 female students, by the group affiliated to the Islamic State, because she refused to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ and convert to Islam.
Said Jay Sekulow, the Chief Counsel for ACLJ, an organisation dedicated to the defense of constitutional liberties secured by law, in a message made available to Nigeria Everyday:
“Christian teen Leah Sharibu – hostage of a jihadist group – is reportedly still alive, but her life remains in grave danger.
“Today we are taking direct action at the United Nations.
“After unverified reports that Boko Haram had carried through with its threat to kill her for her Christian faith, the Nigerian government reports that she is still alive.
“We must redouble our efforts to fight for her freedom.
“Christians in Nigeria have faced unfathomable devastation. Boko Haram, the Nigerian militia pledged to ISIS, has killed as many as 37,500 people, displaced nearly 2 million, and created 240,000 refugees.
“Christian teen Leah Sharibu continues to languish in captivity under the terrorist group Boko Haram.
“Today we’ll be delivering a critical oral intervention to the U.N. Human Rights Council urging action to save Leah Sharibu and to protect Nigeria’s Christians before the violence spreads any further.
“As we go to the U.N. in Geneva, Leah needs your voice NOW.
“Sign Our Petition: Free Leah Sharibu.”
Below are screen shots of the publicised ACLJ plan:
Recall that the terrorists had stormed he Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, north-easterm Nigeria on February 19, 2018; and simply carted her and 111 other girls and a boy away unchallenged by security forces.
The abduction bore a resemblance to a similar abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno in 2014. 112 of these ones are still in captivity five years after.
Four weeks after the Dapchi abduction, 107 of the girls were released, after the Federal Government allegedly paid an undisclosed amount as ransom, while four reportedly died. Many were aghast that government agreed to leave a girl behind on account of her Christian faith.
Two of three other humanitarian workers abducted shortly after the Dapchi girls: Safura Ahmed and Hauwa Liman, were killed to drive home the terrorists demand for negotiations over Leah, while the third, Alice Ngaddah, another Christian, was kept as a captive.
Sharibu was allowed to transmit a recorded audio message to arm-twist governmenti nto negotiations.
She said: “I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation.
“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,” she pleaded.