Yusuf Bello|
The presidency on Thursday reacted to a Boko Haram video showing six kidnapped aid workers, where the Lady amongst them identified as Grace claimed that Leah Sharibu, the kidnapped Dapchi Christian school girl had been killed by the insurgents.
The six aid workers who were kidnapped last week Thursday in Damasak, Bornu state were seen in the video, released on Wednesday by Boko Haram, pleading with the Nigerian government “to do something” about their release.
The video featured the veiled female nurse, Grace, speaking on behalf of five other abducted men sitting behind her.
She said, “My name is Grace, I work with Action Against Hunger an NGO in Borno state. My base is Damasak. We went to work on Thursday the 18th of July 2019 outside Damasak.
“On our way going back to Damasak, by Kinnari Chamba ward in Damasak we were caught by this army called the Khalifa. They brought us here and actually we don’t know where we are. But this minute, this moment I want to beg on my Christian Association of Nigeria because I am the only Christian amongst six of us here.
“I want to beg that CAN should do something about me to see how I can be released. I also want to beg Action Against Hunger in Borno State that we are six here and all of us are staffs, we went to work on our way coming back to our base that was when we were caught. I beg Action Against Hunger to know that we have families, some of us have children and I am begging Action Against Hunger that they should do something to release us.
“I also want to call on Nigeria that we are Nigerians; we are also working for Nigeria. I beg that the Nigerian government should please, and please, I am begging; do something to see that we are released because this has occurred before to this organisation, RED CROSS where some ladies were caught, Hauwa and Kabura there were told to ask to be released but because Nigeria did not act they were killed.
“I am begging on behalf of all of us here that please Nigeria 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. I beg that Nigeria and our organisation Action Against Hunger should do something and see that we are released. Thank you.”
Reacting to the development on Thursday, the presidency in a statement by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said it “has been briefed by the responsible government agency about the disturbing video showing our citizens, the humanitarian aid workers held captive.”
“Presidency has been given assurances that contact is being made and the captors are being talked to.
“Besides these aid workers, there are some others about whom this engagement is about – Leah Sharibu, a religious leader and all the others. These discussions have been ongoing even before this time and what this latest incident has done is to bring urgency to the efforts that the secret service is making.
“Government is making contacts, in the hope that the captors will see reason to not visit hardship or even harm on these innocent individuals. Government is working.”
Leah Sharibu was among the 112 kidnapped Dapchi school girls kidnapped in Yobe state, by Boko Haram insurgents on February 19, 2018.
While the others were later released, Leah was held back for reportedly refusing to denounce Christian faith.
In August 2018, a video of Leah begging President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in her case was released by the insurgents.
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.”
In July this year, President Muhammadu Buhari assured Nigerians and the family of Leah Sharibu that his government is determined to ensure that she and the other girls in Boko Haram captivity are united with their families.
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