Leah Sharibu: A scar on Nigeria’s conscience

Leah Sharibu, the only teenager negotiated away by the federal government on the basis of her religion, remains in captivity while the government and the country have moved on to other important matters. In his Democracy Day speech, President Muhammadu Buhari was quick to reel out the achievement of his administration including the release of captives held by the Boko Haram terrorists, including 106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls. But he remained silent on the fate of the only remaining Dapchi girl still in captivity, negotiated away by the federal government, and which the president and his top security officials have promised severally in the past to secure her release.

We are still at a loss as to why the government will agree to leave out Miss Sharibu in the negotiations that secured the release of the 105 girls that were kidnapped by the Boko Haram. First, in a religiously sensitive country like Nigeria, it was a big blunder and a failure in strategic negotiations – and the government should feel terribly ashamed of itself. It reflected very badly on the image of the government and its ability to manage Nigeria’s diverse religious and ethnic differences. We may even accept the views of the Catholic Secretariat which described Miss Sharibu’s continued detention by the terrorist sect as a demonstration of increased hostilities against the Christian religion in Nigeria.

Secondly, we are at a loss as to why the government has failed to secure the release of Miss Sharibu almost 78 days after going by the so-called understanding and trust built between government’s negotiation team and the terrorists to such an extent that the terrorists were cleared to drive back into Dapchi the same way they came in the first time – in a convoy – to return 105 of the 110 girls abducted from the town. The terrorists were even given the freedom to preach and parade round Dapchi before their exit to loud cheers from the local community. During the preaching rounds, they were even said to have apologised for taking the girls saying they would not have taken the girls if they realised they were Muslim girls!

Immediately after, the presidency released a statement giving the president’s pledge to ensure that “the lone girl is not abandoned.”

“The Buhari administration will not relent in efforts to bring Leah Sharibu safely back home to her parents as it has done for the other girls…President 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, the statement signed by Garba Shehu, said.

Three days later the Inspector General of Police said Miss Sharibu will be released in a matter of hours.

Since then however, the girl is yet to be released, the government or the president has not said anything more about her, and even when listing his achievements including the release of the Chibok and Dapchi girls, conveniently left her out of the narrative.

Much more shocking is the revelation by the father of the teenager that the government has not contacted the family even by phone, since the abduction saga began. Hear him: No delegation has visited the family since the February 19 episode. Not even a telephone call from anybody. Nobody has called me.”

How more callous and insensitive can a government be?

Sadly the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that should be at the forefront of pressurising the government to fulfil its promise to secure the release of Miss Sharibu and the over 100 remaining Chibok girls, is mired in political, leadership and monetary squabbles and has not been able to do much beyond issuing ineffectual statements. How shameful!

We commend the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement that have continued to put her issue and those of the other abducted Chibok girls in the front burner and for always demanding for their release. We also commend good-spirited Nigerians who celebrated Miss Sharibu’s birthday on May 14, on social media and using the opportunity to remind the government of its promise to rescue her. We encourage them and many other Civil Society and religious groups to continue to put pressure on the government to live up to its promise to bring back the girl and the over hundred Chibok girls still in captivity.