Lead advocate for the International Human Rights Lawyers, US-Nigeria Law Group USA (USNLG), Mr Emmanuel Ogebe and other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Nigeria have accused the federal government of being insensitive to the plight of Leah Sharibu one year after her other colleagues were released from Boko Haram captivity.
USNLG made this accusation on Tuesday in Abuja at a press briefing to mark one year anniversary of the Dapchi school girl’s abduction.
The other organizations are Advocates for Justice, Justice for Jos project, Peace Foundation Jos, Leah Foundation and Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON).
Blueprint reports that the Dapchi schoolgirls were kidnapped fromGovernment Girls Science and Technical Secondary Schoollast year by Boko Haram terrorists during an attack on their school. But 105 of them have since been released since March 21, 2018 except Leah Sharibu who is still in their captivity.
Ruing Sharibu’s plight, the lead advocate of the Organizations, Ogebe particularly condemned the fact that Sharibu, a christian as at today remain the sole captive of the dreaded sect without government doing enough to secure her release like other girls.
He said: “We have gathered today in honour of Leah Sharibu to mark the one year anniversary of her adoption.
“As a result, myself and colleagues in the advocacy struggle decided to honour a girl that we have never met, who knew the enormity of the sacrifice she was making for not decamping from her faith for a personal convenience or advantage, a fourteen year-old who refused to change her ideology for personal benefits unlike what pervades in our political landscape today.
“Her story reminds us of Nigerians who just want a decent environment to practice their faith and do their business but, have been turned to hapless citizens in their own country.
According to Ogebe, Leah was constantly pressured by her captives to convert and be released but she resisted the pressure and was thereafter separated from her colleagues and kept with the UN Red Cross and UNICEF hostages who have been captured as slaves.
Continued, he said: “Also on the day of their release, Leah was asked to once again deny her faith and be converted and she refused despite pleadings from her mates, who started crying at that point.
Also speaking, Reverend Samuel Hokum charged the federal government to show empathy and take a bold step towards securing the girl release, saying governance is about humanity and security of lives and properties.
