CAN remembers Leah Sharibu after five years in captivity
…Vows to keep speaking out for justice in Nigeria
Anthony Iwuoma
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on Sunday, held a prayer session for Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi schoolgirl kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in 2018 in Yobe State and still held in captivity five years after.
Speaking on the occasion in Abuja, the CAN president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, vowed that the association would not cease to speak out for justice and fairness in the country until every oppressed Nigerian is liberated.
The cleric described Leah Sharibu’s case as one of the several cases of the ongoing faith-based persecutions in the country.
“As a nation, we must arise and speak up against every form of injustice no matter who is involved.
“We must demand better from our leaders. We must speak out against injustice and for fairness until every Nigerian is free from oppression.
“I implore everyone to make good use of the opportunity the forthcoming elections presents to elect leaderships who will not pay deaf ears to the cries of the common people.
“Bad leadership affects us all in many ways no matter our tribe or religion. We should therefore put aside tribal sentiments, religious biases, and personal gains and do what we know is right by voting people with character, capacity and compassion.
“Leah’s refusal to abandon her beliefs, even in the face of grave danger, has inspired and will continue to inspire many people around the world to stand up for what they believe in and fight for justice and freedom of Belief for all the people around the world,” Okoh stated.
Also speaking, at the event, which was co-organised by the Gideon & Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation and LEAH Foundation, Rev. Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam of the Citizens Monitoring Group (CMG), tasked the Federal Government to fulfil its promise to rescue Leah Sharibu.
“We have to sustain efforts in continuing to advocate until Leah sharibu and all other Christian girls who are in Boko Haram captivity are out,” he said.
“The government of President Muhammadu Buhari, you have a few more days in the office. Fulfill your promise to deliver Leah Sharibu. You don’t want it to go on record that you never managed to get Leah rescued.
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“The President will need to continue to act until he brings Leah out of captivity, but in the end, if he does not, the records will speak for itself. It will be a total failure.
“But we move beyond this question, if Buhari doesn’t do it, to call on the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to make bringing Leah and other girls in captivity out, a top priority of the his government.”
Also, President of LEAH Foundation, Dr. Gloria Puldu-Samdi, bemoaned the fact that not even one of the candidates in the 2023 presidential race has mentioned Leah’s case as well as the freedom of others held Boko Haram captivity in their campaign speeches.
