February 19, 2018. When Leah woke in the morning to prepare for school, she must have thought it was like any other day; go to school, return home in the afternoon, go to ECWA Church in the evening, return home to cook for her younger brother and mum, take supper, study hard and go to bed.
Unknown to her, fate had another plan. The rising of the sun was the beginning of a journey to uncertainty, an uncertainty where the sun never set, and uncertainty that took her name to the ends of the world as an icon that stood for Christ in the face of death.
Her story is world-famous. Captured by one of the groups of the Islamic Boko Haram, she has spent over 1000 days with the insurgents. So much unverified news have been spun about her; she was pregnant, she delivered a baby boy for one of the leaders of Boko Haram, she was dead, she has converted under duress to Islam, she became a kind of prophetess in the enemy’s camp, placing hands on the sick and they receive their healing, all sorts of unverified stories. Right now, no one can say exactly what has happened to her. Nigerians live by faith that she is alive and would come back home if the Lord wills.
Daughter of Nathan, a policeman serving in Adamawa State, and Rebecca, a school teacher mother in Dapchi, Yobe State, the Federal Government of Nigeria has played enough politics with her return. The Church has fasted and prayed for her return and now, the faith and clamour attached to her saga is viewed as dwindling that one wonders if she is not forgotten already.
Speaking to e-life, Rebecca, her mother said there was no news about her. “It is like the government has abandoned her and forgotten her. I have cried, prayed, hoped and, right now, I have left everything in the hands of God.”
Nathan, Leah’s father, also told reporters that he has no news about his daughter. All he knows are what he reads on the internet and that the government has not spoken to him since the incident in 2018.
The question: is Leah now forgotten in the enemy’s camp? While it is easy for the government and some bodies to negotiate the release of some children repeatedly captured en masse in recent times, what about negotiating the release of Leah, who has been in the enemy’s camp the third year running?
Do Christians even remember that Leah, a 15-year-old is suffering this fate because she refused to deny Christ? Shouldn’t all the Christian leaders be reminding the governments and congregation be knocking on the doors of heaven concerning this daughter of Jesus? How many Christians still remember to mention her in prayers? Is Leah now forgotten?
Speaking to e-life on Leah Sharibu, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, Kaduna State, John Joseph Hayab, said: “The increase in insecurity of Nigeria has overwhelmed Nigerian government that they only pay lip service to other serious matters such as Leah’s case.
Government wish people could forget about her matter so that no one will use Leah’s name to wake them up from sleep and lethargy. How can they care about this poor girl when it does not matter that over 100 farmers were killed in Borno State by the same Boko Haram.”
Hayab added that the mouthpiece of this government has proved that the lives of Nigerians do not really matter, as long as they are in office. “Our consolation is that God knows where our daughter, Leah, is and will one day bring her back to us. My message to Leah’s parents is that their daughter has made them become parents of many children and friends to many lovers of children and justice.”
On whether the Church has given up on Leah, Hayab responded that the voice of the Church is still loud but, “as you know, we can only pray and put pressure on government but we are not an enforcement organisation. Today, many have been intimidated that they hardly speak against injustice and evil in the land. They fear the hawks in government will jump to blackmail them and call them names, but the true voices of the Church are still crying loud over Leah Sharibu.”
