Has Leah Sharibu been killed as claimed by aid worker?

On Wednesday, TheCable obtained a video of of the aid workers who were kidnapped in Borno state last week.

In the video, a victim identified as Grace appealed to the federal government and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to assist in securing her release.

She said she did not want to share the same fate with previous victims who were killed because no one came to their rescue.

Grace made reference to Hawa Liman, also an aid worker, and Leah Sharibu, a secondary school student kidnapped in Dapchi, Yobe state.

“The Nigerian government should please do something to see that we are released because this has occurred before… some ladies were caught, Hauwa and Ziphora, they also asked to be released but because Nigeria did not do anything about it, they were killed. I am begging on behalf of all of us here that please Nigerians should not allow such to happen to us and it also happened again with Leah and Alice because Nigeria could not do anything about them. They were not released; they were also killed,” she had said.

Action Against Hunger, the non-governmental organisation that Grace worked for before her abduction, has since confirmed the authenticity of the video.

MORE THAN A YEAR IN BOKO HARAM CUSTODY

Sharibu was among the 112 kidnapped from their school — Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state — by Boko Haram members on February 19, 2018.

While the others were later brought home, Sharibu, now 16 years old, was held back for reportedly refusing to denounce Christianity.

In August last year, TheCable obtained a recording of her begging the president to come to her rescue and reunite her with her family.

She had said: “I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation.

“I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, my father, my younger brother and relatives. Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion, I am calling on the government, particularly, the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation.”

DEAD OR ALIVE?

TheCable could not immediately verify Grace’s claim.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in July restated his commitment to ensure Sharibu and other abductees reunite with their families.

He had said: “We want to reassure the affected families and friends that this administration will not relent in its efforts to bring back all the remaining girls including Leah Sharibu, who has become a postal child for the heinous activities of Boko Haram insurgency.

“We will reunite them with their families and friends by the Grace of God.”