A British member of parliament, Tom Brake, Thursday staged a protest outside the Nigerian High Commission in London to call for the release of Leah Sharibu, CNN reports.
Miss Sharibu was among 110 girls kidnapped February 19 by Boko Haram terrorists from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi in Bulabulin, Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State in the North-east of Nigeria.
The terrorists, however, withheld her, reportedly because she refused to renounce her Christian faith, as the Nigerian government successfully negotiated the release of majority of her fellow victims; apart from the five reported dead during the kidnap.
According to the report by CNN on Thursday, Mr Brake, a Liberal Democrat, staged a sit-in outside the Nigerian High Commission in central London to put pressure on the Nigerian government.
“There cannot be a clearer example of someone whose human rights are being ignored than that of Leah who is being detained just because she has maintained her Christian faith,” he said, according to the report.
Also taking part at the in the protest organised by advocacy group, Church World Service, was Reno Omokri, a former aide of former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan.
In a video he posted via his twitter handle later, Mr Omokri demanded the release of Miss Sharibu.
”What we are trying to do we trying to call Rebecca Sharibu, Leah’s mother. I have spoken with her earlier and i just want to speak with her again so she can tell Nigerians and people all over the world how she feels and tell people who supported this cause to help free her daughter,” Mr Omokri said in the tweet.
”Today is 200 days that Leah has been with Boko Haram in adduction when she should be at school. I have a daughter at the same age as Leah and it moves me to know Leah should not be in captivity with Boko Haram because she refuses to be a Muslim.”
Mr Omokri called on President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate the release of Mr Sharibu but not to use her to win electoral cheap points.
”President Muhammadu Buhari, you should do everything in your power not to score political point keep her and when it is time for elections let her go now,” Mr Omokri said.
”We have been praying everyday for Leah an d now we have heard an audio that she is alive, Leah should be at school and she should be at her desk not in captivity because she refuses to be a Muslim. I need everybody to join us to put pressure on the Nigerian government to get Leah back.
He condemned the terrorist group for the continuous detention of the girl, stating that the act is “anti-Islam and anti-Quran.”
“What you are doing is wrong; it is anti-Islam, anti-Quran. Release Leah Sharibu,” he said
Leave a Reply