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Tag: Leah Sharibu

  • Abducted Aid Worker Cries for Help

    The aid worker kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists, Grace Taku alongside five humanitarian workers and staff of Action Against Hunger (ACF) has appealed to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigerian government “to do something” about their release.

    In a video clip released, Grace Taku, the aid worker kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists on July 18 claimed that Leah Sharibu alongside one Alice has been killed by the insurgents because of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s inability to do something.

    It should be recalled that Leah Sharibu was among the 110 Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapped from Yobe State by the insurgents.

    Read Also: Facts about Imam who saved 262 Christians during attack

    The three minutes and 17 seconds video featured a veiled female nurse who identified herself as Grace Taku speaking on behalf of five other abducted men sitting behind her.

    She said, “My name is Grace. I work with Action Against Hunger, an NGO in Borno state. My base is Damasak.”

    “We went to work on Thursday, July 18, 2019, and on our way back to Damasak, we were caught by the army of Calipher.”

    “We don’t where we are. At this moment, we don’t know where we are. I am the only Christian among them. I am appealing to the Christian Association of Nigeria to please assist and do something about me.

    “I am also appealing to the Action Against Hunger, they should do something to make sure that we are released,” she added.

  • Leah Sharibu’s ordeal

    Last Tuesday, Leah Sharibu, the only remaining captive of the 110 girls abducted in February 2018, from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, turned 16 years old.  It was with tears that her family marked her 15th birthday last May, after their Christian daughter’s courageous stand against members of the Islamic State in the West African Province (ISWAP), an offshoot of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents. Leah refused to convert to Islam, even after her Muslim schoolmates were released, following some negotiations with the Nigerian government. One year after, Leah and her family find themselves in the same position as her last birthday. But this time, there is even more concern about the commitment of the government towards her release from captivity.

    Since the kidnap of about 276 girls from their school in Chibok, Borno State in 2014, there has been increasing awareness of the activities of the insurgents in the northeast. The global effort to secure the release of those girls saw the leaders of powerful countries like the United States, United Kingdom, France and many others lend their voice to the campaign.

    It is thought that the pressure and support of world leaders, and the exceptional commitment of members of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) coalition, moved the government to negotiate the release of some of the kidnapped Chibok girls in May of 2017. The whereabouts of about 112 of the Chibok girls is still unknown to the public, more than 1,500 days after heir abduction. Similar pressure led to the release of the Dapchi girls (and one boy) in March of last year. All except Leah.

    Moved by concern for the plight of the teenager, Nigerians and people around the world have not let up on their pressure on the government to secure her release. Last Tuesday, on the occasion of her 16th birthday, there were demonstrations in Lagos, Abuja, Adamawa and other Nigerian states. Organised demonstrations took place in the US and in London, UK, including one involving David Linden, MP, the Member of Parliament for Glasgow, who shares the same birthday with Leah. Protests and demonstrations had earlier been organized on the one-year anniversary of her abduction in February of this year.

    The success of negotiations in some of the past cases makes government failure in Leah’s case exceptionally heartbreaking, especially for her family. Added to that, the popularity she has now acquired through her defiance may have also made her case exceptional in the eyes of her captors. ISWAP had issued a final ultimatum for her life in September, 2018. However, even though two aid workers also abducted by the group were executed that month, Leah was spared, and declared as a lifetime slave to the group, alongside Alice Loksha Ngaddah, another aid worker.

    The government, on its part, continues to give assurances to Nigerians and Leah’s family that all will be done to secure her release. The reassurances may not be enough, since the group holding Leah is known and there are channels for negotiations between the government and the group. Nigerians cannot imagine why there has been no breakthrough in whatever efforts are being made to secure Leah’s release. Nobody wants to see the teenage girl mark a third birthday in captivity. Leah’s case is a national tragedy, and it has become a focal point for religious bodies of the Christian faith, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN. Because of the circumstances of this case, if the government cannot find a way out for Leah soon, her continued captivity may encourage divisive comments, which may have already begun to be expressed.

    As we hope for Leah’s freedom, we watch on the news the display of true dedication and commitment to the welfare of citizens, by other countries. Two weeks ago, a French rescue operation was launched in Burkina Faso, to free two French tourists that had been kidnapped by an Al-Qaeda linked group in the West African country. The operation was successful, but at the cost of the lives of two of the French soldiers that took part in the operation. An extra two captives, one American and one South Korean were also freed.

    Although the West has always drummed the “no negotiation with terrorists” mantra, it is suspected, and confirmed in some cases, that this has been done in the past. In the case of the French tourists in Burkina Faso, intelligence gathering enabled the French commandos to track the kidnappers for some days before the operation was approved. The hostages were held for only about seven days. Therefore, our response to the attacks and kidnappings in Nigeria needs to be timely. The more days Leah spends in captivity, the harder it becomes to secure her freedom.

    The lesson in the French rescue is the commitment to do everything necessary to secure the release of the hostages. If the French authorities had waited for ransom to be demanded and paid, there was a risk that executions may have happened first, to make a statement. And it could have endangered French people around the world, who would become a money-making business in the eyes of terrorists.

    Whether or not the Nigerian government has paid ransom for the release of some of the girls that have been freed from captivity in the past couple of years, there is a greater duty to deter the act outright. We should not create a kidnapping business for terrorists within Nigeria’s borders through financial and other concessions to the terrorists. It is worse when the terrorists pick and choose who to release, and under what conditions, as in Leah’s case.

    Again, one must return to the question of political will. In the history of this country, the will to effect an outcome has been displayed in the past, even where the country did not have the expertise and training to handle the operation on its own. One recalls the case of Umaru Dikko, a government official that went on exile after the military coup of 1983. Nigeria acquired the services of Isreali Mossad operatives to force Dikko back to the country. He was ‘tagged and bagged’ (labelled “diplomatic baggage” in a sealed crate) and about to be loaded unto a plane before British customs foiled the operation at the airport.

    Co-incidentally, the Head-of-State at the time is now president today. He has acquired a reputation for dogged pursuit of objectives he his committed to. All Nigerians now ask is for a display of the same level of commitment the president has shown in the past to be applied to the matter of Leah’s freedom. Success will go beyond securing a young Nigerian girl’s release, which should be enough inspiration. It will also be a statement of intent by the government to put a stop to any form of profiteering with the lives of Nigerians.

    As the country continues to keep vigil for Leah, we all must ensure that the focus on her freedom remains paramount, without letting ethnic and religious sentiments move the discourse in other areas that may trigger divisive utterances  and actions. No matter what happens, Leah Sharibu has already conquered her captors in the eyes of the world, and this should give the Nigerian government the impetus to conquer the hate and division that her captors wish to spread in their campaign of death and destruction. It can begin with securing Leah’s freedom.

    This column joins Nigerians of all faiths in prayers for the safe return of Leah to her family. The smallest and youngest in our midst are capable of great feats and inspiring great causes. Malala Yousafzai is a leading example in this regard, and her story is not so far off from the one now building around Leah. Little David in the Bible achieved his victory against Goliath with a small pebble. These girls have done so with a little belief and courage. Like David, their lives have already become an inspiration. May the God that delivered Malala deliver Leah back to us.

  • Emotions as activists, others celebrate Leah Sharibu’s 16th birthday

    There was an outpouring of emotions yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, when a coalition of Christian groups gathered at the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) to celebrate the 16th birthday of Leah Sharibu, a schoolgirl being held captive by Boko Haram insurgents since February 2015.

    The birthday ceremony at the headquarters ECWA in Jos was characterised by prayers for Leah, her parents and churches across the country as well as special prayers for God’s intervention in Nigeria’s security situation.

    The Christian groups, which included Leah Sharibu Foundation, Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment (CWEENS), Catalyst for Peace and Justice (CPJ) and Param-Mallam Foundation, took to the streets of Jos to protest the continued incarceration of the secondary schoolgirl and the inability of the Federal Government to secure her release.

    The groups took their protest to the Plateau State House of Assembly where they submitted a letter of protest to Speaker Joshua Madaki.

    Giving a background to the programme, Paul Abache of Leah Sharibu Foundation said: “On February 19, 2015, some gunmen stormed Dapchi village and took away some girls. Some were released but Leah was not, just for her refusal to renounce her religion.

    “Today marks exactly 16 years of Leah Sharibu’s birthday and this is the second time we are celebrating it while she is in the hands of Boko Haram.

    “As a Christian, Leah has become a role model, a heroine. We need to celebrate her, whether she is alive or not. But we know she is alive because her God in heaven has neither forsaken her nor forgotten her.

    “We call on the world to join us in celebrating Leah Sharibu for her bravery, her unshakable faith in Jesus Christ and for standing as a symbol of Christianity.”

    In a word of exaltation, a cleric, Mr. Dayo Tella said: “Leah is being celebrated worldwide today because at her age, she was able to hold on to her faith, even at the point of death. We give it to her mother and her church for raising her the way she is. The girl must have been filled with Holy Spirit for standing against evil doers and her refusal to give up her faith, even at the point of death.

    “Only God knows why He allows Leah to remain in captivity, it’s not that it is beyond God to secure her release.”

    The cleric urged the Federal Government to do justice for the weak against the strong.

    He also told Nigerians to join hands with the government to fight the current insecurity across the country.

    Another church leader, Dr Dan Sumaila said: “It’s not a time to mourn. Nigeria is at a crossroads where no one is secured, including security agencies, traditional rulers, politicians. Let all Christians emulate Leah, not to deny the God that you serve. Let all parents teach their children the way of Leah. Let us remain as Christians in words and in actions.”

    Read also: Soyinka compares Leah with Mandela

    Also, activists, comprising several civil society organisations (CSOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the country yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to secure the release of Leah Sharibu from her captors.

    They urged the President to present her release as a democracy gift to Nigerians before he begins his second term in office. The CSOs spoke at a rally at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, as part of activities to mark Leah’s 16th and second birthday in the hands of Boko Haram insurgents.

    They urged the Federal Government to ensure the safe and speedy return of Miss Sharibu to her family and the Christian community.

    The Founder, Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, Rev. Godwin Para-Mallam, appealed to the President to prioritise security, unemployment, poverty and the revitalisation of the economy in his second term.

    He said: “Unless the court says something otherwise, on May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari is going to be sworn in for his second term. Nigerians have gone through a lot; they have endured a lot in the area of security.

    “The number one priority as you move into your second term is to address the security challenges, particularly in the North, the Middle Belt, the Northeast and the Northwest. But, of course, there are pockets of security challenges in other parts of the country.

    “People have cried, Mr President. Give us a gift, set Leah Sharibu free and others who are in captivity.”

    Also, the Founder, Mercy Ade-Davies Foundation, Prof. Funmi Adesanya-Davies said: “Our hearts are broken, we are depressed. We are sad, we are unhappy. The release of Leah Sharibu is a sign to this nation and the entire globe that the Christian community is acceptable. But not releasing her is a sign of a very bad omen and this bad omen must stop.”

    The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) said Nigeria failed to render public account of the financial commitments it has made in the rescue of the hundreds of girls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.

    Wondering why the government did not copy the examples of Great Britain, which periodically publishes public expenses on such cases, including the subsisting case of the then little Madeleine Mccann who disappeared in Portugal about ww years ago, HURIWA regretted that the Nigerian government did not appear to be making any effort to free Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls.

     

  • Soyinka compares Leah with Mandela

    •Leah Sharibu, one of the school girls still held by Boko Haram insurgents, turned 16 yesterday. It was her 449th day in captivity. As a tribute on her birthday commenmoration, Prof. Wole Soyinka read an ode saluting her resilience at the GeorgeTown Univeristy, United States, Emmanuel Ogebe reports.

    Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has paid tribute to abducted schoolgirl Leah Sharibu in an ode to her and Chibok, a community in Borno State where some schoolgirls were abducted five years ago.

    Likening Leah to iconic human rights champion the late Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Soyinka said we must “celebrate the exception who said “no” ” as it reminded him of Mandela who refused conditional release.

    Reciting the ode titled: Mandela comes to Leah at Georgetown University in Washington DC, United States, Soyinka said: “No”, she said, “Faith is not of compulsion”… her torch undimmed in the den of zealots.”

    Soyinka said he could only recite excerpts from the ode because he broke down the last time he had tried to read it.

    He also did an epic takedown of a Georgetown professor’s claim that poverty and desperation was behind Boko Haram terrorism.

    He said that it was ideological bordering on the metaphysical and we should not underestimate it. “We’re dealing with something much deeper,” he said. He recalled that the son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is in the upper middle class, joined ISIS abroad.

    Read also: Emotions as activists, others celebrate Leah Sharibu’s 16th birthday

    “There’s a will to deny the possibility of horror and evil. We have reached a point where we have to go beyond the material analysis of this phenomenon. It goes beyond poverty and marginalisation. The ideology of sheer morbidity,” he added.

    Soyinka deplored the 20 American intellectuals who wrote protesting the proposal to designate Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO, because, according to them, it would interfere with their “scholarly research”. He said: “It took my breath away”.

    The retired professor said: “Some were my friends (but) they, in all seriousness, had a wrong analytical approach to the problem. We must simply jettison the language of political correctness. Political correctness is turning Africa continent into the graveyard of freedom and liberty if we don’t call things by their proper names…

    “We’re dealing now with the toxin of power which barely manifests itself under the cloak of religion.”

    Also on the panel with Soyinka was the ambassador who belatedly announced Obama’s decision to designate Boko Haram as an FTO as then top US diplomat for Africa Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas Greenfield.

    Greenfield pleaded impotence in responding to the Chibok abductions due to denials by many as to what happened, which she said, was her biggest challenge. “I had this feeling of impotency – a superpower who couldn’t do anything…I still feel it…there’s no more frustration to be in and I felt frustrated.” She also mentioned a recent attack in Nigeria where some girls were taken away.

    Greenfield also paid tribute to some of the girls whom she had met as being strong, saying she was traumatised after watching the drama “Chibok: Our Story” which preceded the panel discussion.

    International human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe, who led the advocacy  to designate Boko Haram as a FTO, thanked the cast and producer/playwright of “Chibok:Our Story” Wole Oguntokun for giving voice to the Chibok situation, despite the government’s effort to silence the campaign.

    He mentioned the sad news that Leah’s 16th birthday would come up in captivity  and the good news that one of the escaped Chibok girls he brought to attend school in the US was graduating with an associate degree in science this same week.

    Stating that he forgave Greenfield for the Obama administration’s delay in designating Boko Haram as a FTO because she delivered the good news, Ogebe noted that the Chibok girl graduated from college without one dime of US government support in the past five years. “We can’t bring back the girls, but we can all do something,” he added.

    Ogebe and Greenfield had testified together before the US Congress on the day the FTO designation was announced. She represented the Obama administration; Ogebe and a Boko Haram victim represented civil society.

    The panel event was part of the Currents Festival at Georgetown University where the Chibok play, performed in Nigeria and Rwanda, made its US debut to rave reviews.

    Oguntokun, the acclaimed producer/playwright, is a protégée of Soyinka.

  • Hope for Leah Sharibu as she turns 16

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Reactions have contained to pour in all over the country, following Leah Sharibu’s 16th birthday today.

    She is seen as a symbol of dogged belief in her faith. Kidnapped on 19th February, 2018 by the Boko Haram terrorists at the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi she remains in captivity after 449 days despite release of her colleagues on 21st March, 2018 after negotiations with the government.

    Her whereabouts remain unknown as it stands despite promises by the federal government to get her released.

    The reason for her continued captivity is her refusal to convert to Islam.

    In celebration of her birthday, the second under Boko Haram’s activity, there have been wild protests and prayer all over the country for her release.

    There are appeals that she should not be forgotten, as she has a long life ahead of them.

    The Leah Sharibu Foundation, Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment (CWEENS) and Param-Mallam Foundation, took to the streets of Jos, marching to the Plateau state House of Assembly to protest for her release.

    Read Also: Easter without Leah Sharibu

    Over 8,000 Nigerians were tweeting about Leah Sharibu, celebrating her birthday such that she became the trending topic on Twitter and other social media platforms in the early hours of Tuesday.

    On her twitter handle, the convener, Bring Back our Girls group and former Presidential Candidate, Oby Ezekwesili said “she went to school, but her desk is still empty. She is sixteen years old today. #NeverToBeForgotten.

    Enough is Enough Nigeria, tweeting, also said: “Today is Leah Sharibu’s 16th birthday & her 449th day in captivity. We call on the government to do more to secure her release. Education is not a crime!”

    Leah herself pleaded to the federal government for her release in August 2018.

    In a 35- second audio, translated from Hausa language, Sharibu said: “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.

    According to the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, there is hope for her release.

    “The lone Dapchi girl, Leah, will not be abandoned. President Buhari assures the Sharibu family that he will continue to do all he can to ensure that they also have cause to rejoice with their daughter soon,” he assured.

  • Nigerians celebrate Leah as she marks 16th birthday in Boko Haram custody

    Nigerians have called for the release of Leah Sharibu, the only Christian among the 110 female students kidnapped at the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State on February 18, 2018, as she marks her 16th birthday in the custody of her captors.

    Just like the previous year, Leah marks another birthday surrounded by insurgents in a far away hideout without cakes nor candles, amidst fear and fierce.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had promised that his government would not abandon her.

    Read Also: ‘Pray for Leah Sharibu, Chibok girls release’

    However, as the waiting continues, Nigerians have taken to Social Media to celebrate Leah on her 16th birthday and also to remind Buhari of his promise.

  • Symphony for Leah Sharibu, Joy Iyitor

    Poets capture life in their works. This was exactly what poet and preacher Nosa Iyamu did in his collection of poetry, A Symphony of Love Notes, which was unveiled in Lagos. He wrote about the plight of the abducted Dapchi school girl Leah Sharibu and the bereaved family of one of those who died in the 2012 Dana plane crash. The event was chaired by the late Chief Bola Ige’s son, Muyiwa, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.

    A cake with mixed raisins

    If the book, A Symphony of Love Notes, were a cake, it would be one with a blend of raisins … sad and sensual raisins. As guests feasted on its “love raisins”, they were equally treated to “sad” ones.

    It was an ambiance of mixed feelings when guests appraised the book by poet and preacher Nosa C. Iyamu in honour of the kidnapped schoolgirl Dapchi Leah Sharibu and victims of 2012 Dana Airlines crash (precisely Joy Iyitor Allison).

    The 103-page book, which contained 85 poems, was unveiled in Lagos in an emotionally charged event that was chaired by the late Chief Bola Ige’s son, Muyiwa. It paraded dignitaries from all walks of life, including the father of the late Allison, Dr Jude Iyitor; advocates for the release of Leah, led by the founder of Realm of Glory Int’l Church, Pastor Sam Aiyedogbon, and members of the Ubulu-Uku Royal House: Prince Ndubuisi Obanua, Prince Christian Ofulue, Princess Clementina Eze-Ikonie, Princess Helen Adigwe, Prince Reginald Chukwuma, and Princess Nkechi Bisan.

     

    Of ‘brave’ faith and ill-fated crash

     

    Guests held a one-minute silence for Leah, even as they remembered Allison. While decrying the country’s security challenges leading to Leah’s abduction, they made a case for her rescue. They described the 15-year-old Dapchi schoolgirl, who is still in Boko Haram net, for refusing to denounce her faith in Jesus Christ as “brave”.

    It would be recalled that Leah has been named the personality of the year by two major national newspapers (The Nation and The Guardian) along with many other awards.

    Pastor Leslie Bapetel, who represented Pastor Aiyedogbon, was of the view that more honours, were in the making, saying: “Leah will never be forgotten or forsaken” He added: “Her ongoing selfless sacrifice in the defence of the faith and the gospel of Our Lord Jesus and her present ordeal in the hands of her captors requires us to keep speaking for her and not be silent, but keep praying for her safe release and for her family, especially her father who we hear now has a stroke due to the trauma of her abduction and continued enslavement.”

    He praised the girl’s depth of conviction, saying it is worthy of emulation, adding that she has become “a symbol of the Christ’s kind of faith”.

    “We celebrate 15-year-old Leah who epitomises who a genuine Christian should be. Though abducted along with 110 other girls, she refuses to renounce her faith and is still being held captive till today. To us, she is a symbol of freedom in her soul and freedom of choice.

    “She has consequently become an award- winning witness of Christ and an icon of ideal prophetic/apostolic Christianity with the old time martyrdom mentality that pledges allegiance to the Lamb of God in the face of death by the tyrant’s sword,” Bapetel said.

    For the father of Allison, the memory is always fresh. He recalled his last moments  with his daughter, who worked with Fed Ex, and the events leading to the day the crash happened and immediately after. While decrying the decay in the aviation industry, he called for better monitoring systems to check the lapses.

    “It is indeed a very unfortunate situation that shouldn’t have happened. I had a premonition, but did not know it would be Joy. I called her brother who was supposed to pick her up from the airport that day and he was okay. But I called her lines several times, no response, only for her friend to come to the house to ask for her. We even checked the manifest for her name … We are yet to get over the incident. We thank you for immortalising her like this. The people who collected her compensation what have they done to immortalise her,” he recalled.

     Read also: Easter without Leah Sharibu

    Motivation behind the book

     

    The author’s move to immortalise Leah and Allison was deliberate. He has, in the collection, a poem written in honour of her bravery entitled: For Leah,“challenging the readers especially people in power that the price Leah is paying is the price of a nation”.

    On his motivation for dedicating A Symphony of Love Notes, the author said: “For me, Leah”s story is heart breaking and also inspirational, heart breaking in the sense that all she wanted was to go to school, but all she got at the end was to be kidnapped. Her crime was just that she went to school to get an education, her story is also motivational in the sense that she refused to renounce her faith even when such demands were placed upon her, which she knew might go a long way to determine her freedom. Her decision to go with her faith and conviction is something that is lost on a lot of us at this time.”

    There is a poem, Just One hour, also written in honour of Allison, the other personae the book is dedicated to, that underscores the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident. “For Allison, who is a blood relation of mine, I have known her since she was a child, so when she passed on in the ill-fated Dana air crash, it came as a shock to me and it took me a long time to come to terms with her passing, this is my own way of immortalising her in our hearts,” Iyamu said.

     

    A book for all ages

    Published by “Beyond the River Publications”, the book was reviewed by Silverbird Television “Politicscope” host, Kayode Ladeinde. Pastor of Agape community, Ubong Emmanuel Ebong, spoke on “Love and Words”; while the author of Roses and Thorns, who is the founder/coordinator of Think Right, Choose Right Initiative, Mr. Obiorah Momife, focused on the Art of Poetry and the Power of Words.

    While recommending the book for all ages, the book reviewer said the poems are very romantic but not erotic.  He said: “It is impressive that the author chose to dedicate the collection to Leah and Joy. The book underscores that true love may not necessarily be sensual as revealed from the book. Music Notes typify the lyrical notes of the poem collections. It also underscores the view that some of the lines in the poems could become popular lines in songs, both in secular and religious gathering.”

    Other guests in attendance were Pastor Simeon Afolabi of First Love Assembly; Pastor Christian Ike of The Latter Rain Assembly; Pastor Biola Adeyoola of The Latter Rain Assembly and wife of Gen. Raymond Ochei.

    Besides the speeches, guests were thrilled with diverse poetic and dramatic performances by Evelyn D’Poet and her crew (Jide and Sheriff Atanda) and The Power of God theatre group.

    The event was powered by Findrex Travels, Findrex Aviation Business school, JIS CLEAN, First Love Assembly, Domestications, The Faithful seed Assembly, Global Apostolic Impact Network(GAIN) and Ubulu-uku Royal House.

  • We have depreciated Boko Haram’s efficacy – FG

    The Federal Government on Monday reiterated its position that it has “largely depreciated the efficiency and efficacy of Boko Haram” insurgents.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave the government position when he featured on a live TVC News Programme, “This Morning,” monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Mohammed said that for anyone to correctly assess the administration’s performance in fighting insecurity, particularly Boko Haram, the individual must understand what the situation was before the inception of the administration in 2015.

    “Pre-2015, the Boko Haram terrorists walked freely into any city in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory. They chose where and when to make havoc. United Nations headquarters, the Police headquarters were not spared.

    “In 2013 to 2014, Boko Haram was active in at least, 10 states of the federation where they struck at will, they occupied 17 local governments in Borno State alone, four in Adamawa and two in Yobe.

    “People have easily forgotten that prior to 2015, roads to the North East were blocked, schools were closed, banks folded up, telecommunication companies folded up in the North East.

    “The El-Kanemi Warriors football Club of Maiduguri relocated to Bauchi for all its home games,” he said

    The minister said that the administration had reversed the trend since 2015 it assumed power,  chasing away the insurgents out of Nigeria.

    “Today, we can say proudly that the situations have never repeated itself.

    ‘’Since we came in, Boko Haram insurgents have not attacked any institution inside and outside Abuja.

    “All the schools, banks, telecommunication companies are all opened and functioning in the North East and we have succeeded in confining them to outside Nigeria.

    “Today, the Elkanemi football club hosts all other teams from other parts of Nigeria in Maiduguri.

    ” This is because the government has restored normalcy to the state,” he said.

    The minister noted that terrorism is a global phenomenon and government would continue to appeal to its global and regional partners to stand with it in the fight.

    He said with the dislodgment of ISIS from Syria, the group had been trying very hard to get a foothold over Africa through Boko Haram.

    “We will continue to boost our relationship with the multi national joint task and all global partners that are helping us in the fight,” he said.

    On the abducted Chibok girls remaining in captivity and Leah Sharibu, the minister said that the government was committed to bringing them back.

    “We are working daily with the international partners in that regards.

    “However, it is not everything that we can discuss in the public because of the very tender nature of the negotiation,” he said.

    The minister said that the government was on top of the situation regarding the banditry, cattle rustling and criminality in Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states.

    He said the last two weeks had witnessed a lot of gains on the part of the military in fighting insecurity in the states.

    According to Mohammed, there is no crime-free nation, what is important is what the government is doing to address the challenges.

  • We’re not relenting over Leah Sharibu’s release – Cleric

    Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, Most Rev Hilary Okeke has expressed hope on the apparent fading fate of the abducted Chibok and Dapchi school girls, in North East Nigeria.

    The cleric was particularly optimistic of the rescue of Miss Leah Sharibu who is celebrating her fifth year in Boko haram captivity.

    Speaking with journalists in Nnewi, Okeke assured that the Catholic Bishops were not relenting in efforts to recover the girls.

    He said, “The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria had formally involved the Holy Sea -Pope Francis on the matter.

    “The papacy has reached out to President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue. So, we are not relenting.”

    READ ALSO: Chibok Girls, Leah Sharibu can still return, says Buhari

    The cleric further berated the rising spate of idol worship and neo-paganism especially among contemporary Christendom.

    He urged Christians to return to God and to jettison idolatry in every ramification.

    Acknowledging that the people had traditions and cultural practices before the advent of Christianity, the bishop however noted that most of them had been refined.

    “That is the reason the Church accepts only culture and traditions that have no form of idolatry. Idolatry remains the greatest sin against Christianity.

    “Any Catholic who wishes to take any title must sign an undertaken that no pagan rituals or idolatrous sacrifices would be involved, or such person would be excommunicated,” he stressed.

  • There is hope for return of Leah Sharibu, remaining Chibok girls, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari says his promise to ensure the release of Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls in captivity of Boko Haram remains valid and will be fulfilled.

    The President renewed the pledge in a message by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, to mark the fifth anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok girls.

    About 210 school girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State were kidnapped on April 14, 2014, with 107 of them later released following successful negotiations between the Buhari administration and the abductors.

    Buhari had promised the parents of the kidnapped girls when he met them at the beginning of his first term as president, that he would ensure their daughters returned home.

    The President acknowledged that it was this promise that made the people of Chibok vote for him overwhelmingly in the February presidential election.

    He said that though his government had so far succeeded in securing the release of 107 of the girls, ”it will not rest until the remaining are reunited with their families”.

    The President assured the parents of the girls that his administration is still on the matter.

    ”Diverse efforts are being intensified to secure the release of the Chibok Girls, along with all hostages in Boko Haram captivity, including Leah Sharibu, who was kidnapped from her school – Science Secondary School, Dapchi, Yobe State, on Feb. 19, 2018.

    ”On Leah Sharibu’s abduction, the interlocutors have reported encouraging progress so far.

    ”The report reaching us says her return to her family has unfortunately been hindered by the fear of the militants.

    ”They worry that heavy military presence in areas where they previously moved about freely could affect their safety after they return her to the government.

    ”At the same time, the military cannot jeopardise the security of the entire north-eastern region by halting their operations to accommodate Boko Haram’s fears,” he added.

    According to him, Leah Sharibu will be reunited with her family as soon as any conclusions are reached on a number of options being considered for her safe transportation.

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    “The success of the Nigerian military in subduing Boko Haram is evidenced by the large numbers of militants who have surrendered recently, especially in neighbouring Cameroon and Niger.

    “A similar mass surrender of militants is expected to happen soon in Nigeria.

    “While Nigerian military operations are ongoing, the government is also engaging with the militants but the talks have been affected by the factionalisation of Boko Haram – with one group adopting a hard line posture and intensifying attacks on Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad, and another group engaging with the government for peaceful resolution,” he said.

    Buhari used the opportunity of the commemoration of the Chibok tragedy to commend the girls, now women, saying they had triumphed over it all.

    He also saluted the 106 girls sponsored by the Nigerian government to continue their studies at the American University of Nigeria, Yola.

    He encouraged them to stay focused on becoming women, who could inspire other girls in Nigeria and around the world to triumph over “the daily battles they face in a world that often unfair to the girl-child”.

    The President also extended his best wishes to the Chibok girls in other schools in Nigeria and around the world.

    He congratulated Yaga Bitrus, who has excelled beyond expectations in her college in Maine, USA, and who is soon to receive a special ‘Against All Odds Award’ from her school.