The father of Leah Sharibu, the only Christian Dapchi schoolgirl still being held by Boko Haram following alleged refusal to denounce Christianity, Mr. Nathan Sharibu has debunked media reports that her daughter had been released by the insurgent group. Mr. Sharibu gave the clarification in an interview with Punch.
His statement came after reports emerged on Friday night from online platforms, quoting BBC Hausa Service that Leah had regained her freedom and was on her way to reunite with her parents in Dapchi.
Speaking, he described the report as totally false and appealed to those sponsoring the reports to desist from creating confusion that could negatively affect her chances of release.
“Leah is not back yet, but we are praying and hoping that God will grant her freedom someday. I want to appeal to social media handlers to stop confusing us with fake news about Leah’s release.
“I know the traffic they generate with headlines about Leah, but such headlines should be authentic and not mere rumour.”
Speaking on how Leah's mother was coping with the situation, he said she was gradually coming back to life compared to when the incident occured.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls' parents’ association, Mallam Bukar Kachalla, has called on the Federal Government to hasten up. He described Leah’s reported release as diversionary.
Recall that Leah was among the 110 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram on February 9, 2018 in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although 104 of the girls were released, Leah remains in the sect's captivity.