If Buhari doesn’t rescue Leah Sharibu it’ll be a total failure – CAN

Leah Sharibu
Leah Sharibu

Wilson Adekumola

 

 

The President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Archibishop Daniel Okoh has urged Nigerians to rise and speak out against injustice and for fairness no matter who is involved adding that if Buhari doesn’t rescue Leah Sharibu it will be a total failure.

 

 

He made this disclosed at a special prayer event held in Abuja on Sunday to mark five years in captivity of Leah Sharibu, one of the Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in 2018 in Yobe State.

 

 

The event which witnessed the presence some prominent church leaders was co-organised by the Gideon & Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation and LEAH Foundation.

 

 

Okoh noted that Leah Sharibu’s case is just one out of the numerous cases of faith-based persecutions and injustice going on in the country.

 

 

He, then called on Nigerians to take advantage of the forthcoming elections to elect leaders who will listen to the cries of the common people; noting that behind Leah’s story is anguish, pain, heart break and fear for many citizens.

 

 

The CAN President said, “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.”

 

 

He pointed out that Leah’s story is a metaphor for all those who is currently held captive by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in Nigeria.

 

 

“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.

 

 

Agitating for Leah release, Rev. Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam of the Citizens Monitoring Group, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfil his promise to rescue Leah Sharibu.

 

 

He said, “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.

 

 

“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.

 

 

“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.”

 

 

On the other hand, the President of LEAH Foundation, Dr Gloria Puldu-Samdi, expressed worries why no candidate in the 2023 presidential race has mentioned, in the cause of campaigning, how he will secure Leah’s release and the freedom of others held captive by Boko haram.