CAN regrets Leah Sharibu’s ongoing detention.

The special prayer service held on Sunday at the Church of Christ in Nations in Abuja’s Garki neighborhood to mark the fifth anniversary of Leah Sharibu’s time spent in Boko Haram captivity was emotionally charged.

Christian leaders and Leah Sharibu’s family members stepped up their appeals for her release during the gathering.

Leah Sharibu was one of 110 female students of the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, in the Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State who were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists on February 19, 2018, according to the MINIECHAT.

While other captives were freed after discussions with the militants, Sharibu, who was 14 at the time, is still being kept hostage because she will not forsake her Christian religion.

The other girls were all freed in March 2018 after the kidnapping, but Sharibu was left behind since she would not give up her Christian religion. Five of the girls perished on the day of the abduction.

In his keynote address at the event hosted by the Leah Foundation and Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Foundation, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okoh, claimed that Sharibu’s story had come to represent all those who are currently being held captive in Nigeria by Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations.

Dr. Gloria Puldu, the founder of the Leah Foundation and the parents’ representative, said it was regrettable that Nigerians were still pleading with the government five years later to obtain the release of Sharibu and other citizens of the country who were being held captive.

She urged the presidential contenders running in this weekend’s election to make it clear what they will do, if won, to obtain her release.

They promised to save Leah five years ago, but they haven’t followed through on that commitment, the woman claimed. In our opinion, they have breached pledges with fewer than 100 days left in government, despite their assurances that they still have a chance.

The CAN President noted that the Christian community had made several requests to her kidnappers and the Federal Government but all to no effect. She was represented by Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, President and CEO of the Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation.

Additionally, he urged Nigerians to embrace the general election as a chance to pick leaders who would not ignore their pleas.

Miniechat

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