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Tag: Leah Sharibu

  • ACF to FG: intensify effort to rescue Leah Sharibu, Chibok girls

    ….greets Christians on Easter 

    As the apex northern socio-cultural group, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) greets Nigerian Christians on Easter, it called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts at rescuing Dapchi school girl, Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls still under Boko Haram captivity.

    ACF also called for concerted efforts from the Federal and States governments, the Military and other security agencies, to contain the protracted cattle rustling, kidnappings and frequent farmers/herdsmen clashes in some Northern states with its devastating loss of lives and property.

    The forum in its Easter message signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu however asked the Christians to use the period to pray for peaceful coexistence, harmony, stability and prosperity Nigerians and the country.

    It equally urged Nigerians to irrespective of their status practice the virtue of tolerance, forgiveness, self-sacrifice, good neighborliness and love for one another.

    According to the statement, “The Easter period commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians all over the world celebrate this season with prayers and activities self sacrifice for the common good of the society. The period also gives the Christians the opportunity to reflect on the exemplary life and good teachings of Jesus Christ, which includes his tolerance, forgiveness, love and self sacrifice for the common good of humanity,and copy same.

    “ACF wishes Nigerians, especially Christians,happy celebration.The forum also urges all Nigerians, no matter their status to practice the virtue of tolerance, forgiveness, self-sacrifice, good neighborliness and love for one another,and also continue to pray for peaceful coexistence, harmony, stability and prosperity for all.

    “ACF equally calls upon our leaders, be they political and religious at all levels, to demonstrate love, peaceful coexistence and commitment to the unity of Nigeria, free of injustice, corruption and other vices that have negatively affected our political and socioeconomic development.

    “As we approach the 2019 elections, the Forum wishes to appeal to our politicians not to see it as a do or die matter, but a contest for a credible and honest representation of the people.

    “The Forum also observes with concern the intractable menace of cattle rustling, kidnappings and frequent farmers/herdsmen clashes in some Northern states with its devastating loss of lives and property. It therefore calls for a concerted efforts by both the Federal and States governments, the Military and other security agencies, to contain the situation.

    “Furthermore, we urge the Federal government to intensify its rescue operation in respect of the remaining Chibok and Dapchi girls and others still in the custody of the suspected Boko Haram terrorists.” The forum stressed.

     

  • Christian youths demand immediate release of Leah

    The southern Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) yesterday pleaded with the Federal Government and the security agencies to adopt all necessary measures to ensure the  immediate release of Leah Sharibu from Boko Haram’s captivity.

    Their appeal came simultaneously with one the abductee’s father, Nata Sharibu, sent to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to accelerate efforts towards securing her freedom.

    Sharibu was abducted along with  110 other female pupils of a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State, last month.

    But while the other abductees were released by the terror sect, Sharibu was not, because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.

    President of Southern YOWICAN, Mr. Oluchukwu Nnabugwu, said yesterday in a statement that “religion is a personal decision and should not be a determining factor for the safety  of anyone in the country as being imposed by the Islamic group, Boko Haram.”

    He enjoined the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to demand the release of the names of the five girls that reportedly died in captivity, adding that compensation should be paid to the bereaved parents.

    Barrister Nnabugwu also condemned what he called politicization of the abduction and release of the innocent Dapchi schoolgirls, calling on the Federal Government to set up a high power judicial panel to investigate the abduction of the schoolgirls with a view to unmasking those behind the heinous crime and make them face the full wrath of the law.

    He urged all Christians to pray for the safety of  Sharibu while praying for a “miraculous shake up in Boko Haram camps  that will truly decimate their terrorist activities.”

    In a pasionate appeal to President Buhari yesterday, Leah’s father urged the President to accelerate efforts towards ensuring the freedom of Leah.

    Speaking with one of our correspondents in Abuja in a brief telephone interview facilitated by the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, Leah’s father and and her pastor, Rev. Daniel Auta, who presides over the ECWA Church that Leah’s family attends in Dapchi, expressed appreciation to all Nigerians who have stood by them since Leah’s abduction.

    Leah was abducted by members of Boko Haram along with other girls from Government Science Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State on February 19.

    On March 21 when other abductees were returned to the town, it was discovered that five of the girls had lost their lives in captivity while Leah remained in Boko Haram captivity because she refused to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam.

    Her father, Nata, whose name is a corrupted form of Nathaniel, said it had been a long period of worsening anxiety for the family.

    He said: “I am very grateful to all churches and indeed all Nigerians who are supporting us with their prayers.

    “I appreciate all that they and the government are doing.

    “I am pleading with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to please do their very possible best to help secure the release of my girl in good time.”

    Her church’s pastor, Auta, said Leah’s ordeal had further united the Christians and Moslems in Dapchi as they have all continued in steadfast prayers for her safe release.

    Auta said: “All over Dapchi, we have all been organising prayer sessions. All the churches in Dapchi are praying.

    “We initially did three days of prayer and fasting.

    “After that, we organised special prayers and fasted for three more days, which was concluded on Wednesday.

    “Still, we have continued to pray in our various houses.”

    According to Rev. Auta, while people all over the world are identifying with them on Leah’s situation, every parent in Dapchi feels the pain of the teenage girl’s abduction.

    “Every parent, every house in Dapchi has been praying for Leah.

    “We have also been praying for the parents and family of Leah for divine support and encouragement.

    “The Muslims in Dapchi have been encouraging and supporting us consistently with prayers on this issue.

    “We have always been living in cordial relationship here in Dapchi as there is no problem whatsoever between Christians and Muslims in the town.

    “We know that people all over the world are very anxious about this girl.

    “We are hopeful that God would touch the heart of those holding her,” Rev. Auta said.

  • Dapchi girls: CAN praises Leah for standing for her faith

    … Boko Haram trying to set us against each other, Ahmadiyya

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has praised the lone Dapchi girl Leah Sharibu, being held captive by Boko Haram for standing for her faith.

    CAN says that people saying that Leah should have denounced Christ and repented later do not understand the tenets of Christianity.
    Federal Capital Territory (FCT) CAN President, Rev. Dr. Jonah Samson explained that Christianity is all about conviction and not denial.

    Speaking at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Northern Region, 6th Northern Region Jalsa Tarbiya, 3rd national peace symposium that was held in Abuja. Samson who was represented by Rev. Dr. Samuel Kajeyale said,

    “In the aspect of people saying that Leah should have denounced her faith, it is not possible. If you know what Christian beliefs is all about, it is all about conviction and denial is not part of the tenets of Christianity, if you have given your life to Jesus and made him the lord of your life, people might want to say Peter denied Christ but look at the context of Peter’s denial, immediately he denied Christ he asked for forgiveness, we should ve very careful of looking at a portion of the bible and not looking at it holistically, if you are not given the opportunity of repentance and after the denying Christ you are killed, what becomes of you? That is the issue.

    “So that girl as far as we are concerned, we are praying for her because of her conviction. When you look at the nation holistically, we have the freedom to practice our religion, religion should be by persuasion not imposition, if we allow religion to graduate to imposition, what we are going to reap in the society is total chaos.”
    Amir sahib (National Head), Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Nigeria. Dr. Mashhud Fashola at the occasion called on Nigerians to beware of Boko Harams attempts to set Christians against Muslims.

    Fashola said that the sect is exploiting religion for the purpose of conflict.

    His words, “This is trying to make us as a nation set ourselves against eachother, we may not know thise causing problems, we may call them a particular name and they may not be the ones causing the problems, so what we need is dialogue

    “In religion their is bad leadership, when religious leaders are not preaching discipline, morality and selflessness, they are alao looking for money, they are materialistic it will cause problems. Some of our leaders too are looking for their own pockets rather than fighting for the development of the nation and eradication of poverty. Leave religion apart, poverty knows no religion, if you dont address poverty, you cause problems in the nation, extremists will play on those deprived and preach wrong ideologies.

    “As for Boko Haram, the government is not Boko Haram if Boko Haram sizes someone and refuse to return the person, it is not the fault of the government, let us put the blame on Boko Haram, Boko Haram is trying to create conflict, wants to set us against eachother and exploiting religion for that purpose, their take is not on religion, they know that when they create religious crisis, their will be crisis in the country, we should be very careful not to make them cause us to fight eachother. For me, what Boko Haram is doing is to cause disunity and instability in the country.”

  • Yobe FG committed to securing release of Dapchi schoolgirl – Gaidam

    Yobe Government has assured of its partnership with the Federal Government to ensure the release of Leah Sharibu, the lone Dapchi schoolgirl still in Boko Haram captivity.

    Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam stated this on Thursday in Damaturu when the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee investigating the abduction of the Dapchi schoolgirls visited the state.

    Gaidam, who was represented by the Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Abubakar Ali, said the release of the girl was a matter of priority to the government and people of the state.

    He expressed the hope that the findings of the committee would help to provide a permanent solution to abduction of students and Nigerians generally.

    He urged the federal government and security agencies to employ a comprehensive strategy to clear mines and mop up the remnants of insurgents in the North-East.

    Read Also: Boko Haram tried to capture Yobe Government House – Senate

    The governor also called for effective de-radicalisation policy to curb the menace of violent crimes in the sub-region.

    He commended security operatives for the relative peace achieved in the states affected by insurgency.

    He called on stakeholders to support and cooperate with the committee to find lasting solutions to abduction and other problems associated with insurgency.

    The Chairman of the committee, Mr Buba Yakubu, said the committee was on a fact-finding mission to determine the immediate and remote causes of the abduction of the students.

    “The committee does not intend to witch-hunt anybody but to identify the problems, find solutions and forestall future occurrence,” he said.

    NAN

  • Pastor Adeboye prays for defiant schoolgirl still held captive by Boko Haram

    The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has prayed that God might ensure the safe return of the lone Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, remaining in the captivity of Boko Haram.

    The terror sect refused to release Leah, a Christian, with other abductees on Wednesday because she would not renounce Jesus Christ and her religion.

    Adeboye, in a tweet on his official handle, prayed that the Lord should ”visit the camp of the captors and “in a way that You alone can, see to the safe release and return of the missing girl, Leah Sharibu, in Jesus name.”

    In another tweet, he said: “Isaiah 49:25: But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.”

    On his part, the Catholic Bishop of Oyo, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate Leah’s release.

    ”The biggest litmus test for President Buhari and the APC government in this Dapchi girls saga is the case of Leah Sharibu, the only kidnapped Dapchi girl yet to be released by Boko Haram,” Badejo told reporters.

    ”Leah, on the evidence of her colleagues, was not freed because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.

    “Anyone who thinks this is just a Christian problem will be making a big mistake,” he said.

    “No amount of accolades will suffice to congratulate the girl and her parents who nurtured her to be that strong in her faith as to demonstrate such courage.”

  • Leah Sharibu won’t be abandoned – Buhari 

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said that he is as committed to the freedom of the only Dapchi schoolgirl still in captivity as he was to the girls’ freedom when all 110 were in the captivity of Boko Haram terrorists.

    According to him, his administration will not relent in efforts to bring Leah Sharibu safely back home to her parents as it has done for the other girls after she was held back by the terrorists over her reported decision not to convert from Christianity to Islam.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that Buhari is fully conscious of his duty under the constitution to protect all Nigerians, irrespective of faith, ethnic background or geopolitical location and will not shirk in this responsibility.

    It reads “The President is equally mindful of the fact that true followers of Islam all over the world respect the injunction that there is no compulsion in religion.

    “* To this effect, no one or group can impose its religion on another.

    “His heart goes out to the isolated parents who must watch others rejoice while their own daughter is still away.

    “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.”

    Read Also: Buhari to receive released Dapchi schoolgirls Friday