Lea Sharibu, more than a thousand days in the clutches of Boko Haram

Lea Sharibu, more than a thousand days in the clutches of Boko Haram

Lea Sharibu, a 14-year-old Nigerian girl, was captured on February 19, 2018 by the Islamic State in West Africa, a faction of Boko Haram. On the third anniversary of her kidnapping, which corresponds to more than a thousand days of captivity, her family, through the voice of Pastor Gideon Para-Mallam, wished to recall her suffering and demand her release.

"It is difficult to know exactly where she is now." Words are painful to pronounce for this Nigerian family echoed by Pastor Gideon Para-Mallam. Their daughter, Lea Sharibu, was kidnapped on February 19, 2018 by members of Boko Haram when she was only 14 years old. Today, a little over three years after her kidnapping, the girl's relatives share their suffering and their hope to see Lea released.

What is the latest news that you have from Lea?

Some of the news received in November is worrying, but I don't want to go into details here. There is no way to verify them, but we must pray for her and make concerted efforts both locally and globally to secure her release as soon as possible. However, the good news is that Lea is still alive - so far, this is the most encouraging news we have of her.

When was the last time you saw or heard of her?

The last time Lea was seen by her mother, Rebekah, was at the end of January 2018, during her visit to the boarding school of the Dapchi Public High School for Young Girls in Yobe State, northeast of the country. Some say Yobe State is the birthplace of Boko Haram, and today, along with Borno State, the centre of its operations. In any case, her parents have not seen her since February 19, 2018, when the Islamic State in West Africa invaded her school and kidnapped 110 young girls, including Lea Sharibu. A month later, on March 20, 2018, when the 110 girls were released, Lea was held because she refused to renounce her faith in Christ. The last people to have seen Lea are therefore her classmates. A video in which Lea called for her release from captivity was published in September 2018. Since then, no one has heard directly from Leah.

But last year, you heard from Lea again?

In January 2020, a person abducted by ISIS in West Africa and released conveyed a message to us from one of the prisoners who were with Lea. For the moment, part of the content of the message will not be disclosed. We will share it at the most appropriate time, when the Lord allows it.

Do you know where Lea is?

It is difficult to know exactly where she is now. From what we've heard, terrorists don't keep their prisoners in one place, but move them from one place to another. It is therefore difficult to know exactly and for sure where Lea might be now. Sometimes we hear that it is in the Lake Chad region, and other times, in the Republic of Niger or in Chad. It’s difficult to be precise. Recall that at the end of October 2018, her captors declared that Lea and other people, such as Alice Ngaddah (the UNICEF worker and mother of two children, kidnapped on March 1, 2018), would be slaves for life. They were subsequently married to some of the group's leaders.

Some media have spoken of her conversion to Islam. Is there any proof of this or is it just speculation?

Yes, that's right, the rumour had been circulating for some time, and an eyewitness confirmed this rumour to me in private. But I ask a simple question: was it a voluntary or a forced conversion? Can a forced conversion to Islam, in captivity, be considered a conversion? It should not be forgotten that if Lea was chosen, it was above all because she had decided, at the age of 14, to remain faithful to her Christian faith. Lea's Christian faith is truly heroic! We pray that she will remain steadfast in her faith in Christ, even in this dark hour when the test of her faith is being pushed to limits that even adults could not easily face.

How old is Leah now?

Lea was kidnapped at the age of 14. She celebrated her fifteenth birthday in captivity on May 17, 2018. This innocent schoolgirl, whose education was cut short, celebrated her sixteenth birthday in May 2019, then her seventeenth in May 2020. Why does the world remain t away and watching her unjustly remain in captivity? Stand up, citizens of the world, break the wall of silence and demand the release of Lea Sharibu!

How are the members of her family feeling? Do they hope that she will return one day?

I spoke to Lea's parents again this afternoon. We talk to each other from time to time. They remain steadfast in their hope and faith, believing that one day they will see Lea again. They didn't hunker down. However, they are in great pain. Lea's father, Nathan Sharibu, told me:

"We still hope that Lea will be released one day." And her mother, Rebecca Sharibu, affirms: "Everything is in the hands of God, and by His grace, we will see Lea again one day". May their prayers be answered, AMEN!

What is your message to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) friends and benefactors?

I encourage all benefactors and friends of ACN to pray in faith for Lea. Support Lea's parents as much as you can. Call on your governments to use their power and diplomatic channels to raise the issue of Lea with our President and the relevant power structures in Nigeria, so that they act to free Lea and the other captives. Indeed, how can a government be so helpless and incapable? Remember that in addition to Lea, there are still other Chibok girls who have disappeared. Sadly, another 27 schoolchildren were kidnapped yesterday in Kagara, Niger state in Nigeria.

It seems to me that there are too many out-of-control areas in Nigeria, and our territorial integrity as a nation is therefore compromised. Nigerians should unite, as should citizens around the world! It's not just about Lea Sharibu; it's about our common humanity. It's unbelievable, but so far Lea Sharibu has spent 1,096 days in captivity, in the clutches of Boko Haram. Let us unite beyond our borders and act to free Lea!

• Maria Lozano – Aid to Church in Need (ACN) – Published - 25/02/21