FG still talking with Boko Haram to secure Leah Sharibu’s release – Lai Mohammed
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has urged Nigerians to keep faith with the Federal Government as talks were still on to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi Christian girl still in Boko Haram captivity.
He said beyond criticising the government, Nigerians were oblivious of the pains of negotiating with terrorists.
He said despite the rigours,those involved in negotiation do so on a daily basis.
The Information Minister reacted to this, when State House correspondents sought to get update on her fate.
“Tortuous negotiations are still ongoing daily to secure her safe release,” he said.
The terrorists had since February 19, 2018 kept Leah Sharibu when she was abducted along 110 schoolmates in Dapchi, Yobe State.
Sharibu, whose 15th birthday was marked by her family on Monday, was not released along with her mates one month after the kidnapping because she reportedly rejected the demand of her abductors to denounce her faith and become a Muslim.
The Boko Haram insurgents, who made a big show of returning the abducted girls to Dapchi in a convoy of vehicles, and even addressed crowds in the town without a confrontation from security forces, have kept mum about Sharibu.
Government said the insurgents were not attacked because it reached agreement with them not to harm the girls but return them safely in exchange for a ceasefire with the armed forces.
Sharibu’s continued captivity has been eliciting concern from Nigerians who demand more positive action from government to ensure her release, along with the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, even as the issue came up prominently during talks between President Muhammadu Buhari and President Donald Trump, in Washington earlier this month.
Nathaniel Sharibu, Leah’s father, on her birthday appealed to the media not to relent but put pressure on the Federal Government to ensure the release of his daughter.
Sharibu was making the appeal on Political Platform, a programme on RayPower 100.5 FM, via telephone interview to mark his daughter’s birthday.
When asked why nothing has been heard from the government’s side on Leah, Mohammed said, “I think Mr. President actually addressed that issue in Washington and my position is always the same that we are yet to resolve the issue of six girls. 111 girls were kidnapped, 105 were returned and we are busy on daily basis asking and negotiating and asking what happened to those five officially at least and then what is delaying the young girl Leah Sharibu.
“Negotiations with insurgents are quite tortuous and complicated atimes but I can assure you we are not leaving her to her fate and those who should are daily busy working on her release.”
Asked what was torturous about the negotiations since the terrorists released the girls in broad daylight, the minister said, “Anybody who negotiates with insurgents and terrorists in the world will know that is not a direct face to face negotiation like we are doing.
