Boko Haram: Leah Sharibu welcomes second child! Will she ever be free?
On the 19th of February, 2018, at evening tide, Boko Haram terrorists abducted about 110 secondary school girls between the ages of 11 and 19 from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi.
Leah Sharibu, 14 as at that time is the only girl still in the captivity of the terror group since then after the release of the victims. Although five died while in captivity.
Because she refused to renounce her Christain faith, she wasn’t released and thereafter Leah Sharibu was married-off as a slave to one of the Commanders of the terror group.
In January 2020, a Journalist, Ahmad Salkida with access to information about the terror group confirmed that Leah Sharibu has given birth to a child.
In his words;
“Why I wonder, do we pretend that leaving Leah behind won’t result in pregnancy? Since the terror group announced condemning her to slavery, is there any step or collective focus on preventing similar occurrences? She’s a mother, but I don’t know about the gender of the baby.”
It has been three years and five weeks since Leah Sharibu has been in captivity of Boko Haram and the latest report has claimed that she has given birth to a second child.
A United States-based group, US-Nigeria Law Group confirmed this to Sahara Reporters while lamenting Leah Sharibu’s predicament.
Emmanuel Ogebe, the Convener of the US-Nigeria Law Group, said in a statement that a US-based Pastor offered himself in exchange for Leah Sharibu but the captors refused.
“Despite an offer by an American pastor last month to surrender himself in exchange for Leah’s freedom, there has been no tangible response from her captors.”
“That notwithstanding, intelligence received on the status of Leah indicates that she has delivered a second child in captivity.
“While we have not corroborated this by multiple sources, a usually knowledgeable source indicated that she delivered a second child late last year. This means both children were born in 2020, as the terrorists announced her childbirth earlier in 2020. We are still investigating this”
While commemorating the March 21st release date of the other Dapchi schoolgirls, the group maintained that until Leah Sharibu is released, she remains a poster child and a symbol of a failed state.
President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has often given assurances that Leah Sharibu will be released but she remains in her captors “net” to date.
Recently, Leah Sharibu’s parents sent a note of reminder to the President on his promises as regards the release of their daughter but there hasn’t been a response from the Presidency to date.
Now that Leah Sharibu has welcomed her second child, will she ever be free?
