Abduction: Religious leaders call for release of Leah Sharibu

…Charges FG to secure her release without further delay
Christian and Islamic clerics has called on the Federal Government to release the remaining girl in the hands of the abductors (Boko Haram), Leah Sharibu saying that everything possible should be done without further delay.

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Northern Nigeria, Reverend Yakubu Pam and the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters, Sheikh Mohmamed Khalid made the appeal at the Interfaith Initiative for Peace (IIP) Conference on religious Harmony in Nigeria:

Towards the 2019 General Elections, initiated by his Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Sultan of Sokoto, his Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the co-founders of the forum on Friday.

Leah Sharibu and one hundred and ten other girls were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Dapchi in Yobe State on the 19th February, 2018.

While one hundred and five girls were released and five reported to have died, Leah Sharibu is the only Christian girl still left in the custody of the abductors (Boko Haram) for failing to renounce her Christian faith.

The Presidency had in May, 2018 reassured that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration will spare nothing to ensuring that the abducted Dapchi Christian girl and other girls abducted by Boko Haram regained their freedom.

However, Rev. Pam who urged the federal government to secure her release said; “We are here today, the two major religions in Nigeria, Christianity and Islam.

The leaders are here and traditional rulers are also here to discuss about peace ahead of the 2019 general elections and we also find it very important today to address burning issues that has been disturbing the peace of the country which is the abduction of some of our innocent teenagers and young ladies, particularly Leah Sharibu and others.

“We are here as religious leaders and traditional rulers to appeal to the conscience of the abductors of these innocent girls. We want to appeal to them, please for the sake of God, and release these innocent girls. They are very innocent and I believe that by doing this Nigeria will appreciate”.

On his part, the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters, Sheikh Khalid also said the abductors of Sharibu are on their own and do not represent Islam.

“We are here to speak on behalf of the bodies of the two main religions, Islam and Christianity. We want the world to understand that these people that are holding our children and other people in captivity are not representing Islam,

they are on their own. Islam is not asking them to abduct anybody and the Muslims are going to join hands with anybody to do anything possible to secure Nigerians from these agony’’ the Imam added.