Three Years Later, Leah Sharibu Is Still Held Captive, Reportedly For Refusing To Renounce Her Faith
In the last three years since a group of Boko Haram terrorists stormed and kidnapped 109 students from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, in northeast Nigeria, much has changed except one thing: Only one of the victims, Leah Sharibu, has not been released. While little to nothing has been heard from her since her abduction, Leah’s story has become the stuff of legends — a girl who, just 14 years of age at the time of her kidnapping on Feb. 19, 2018, suddenly transformed from a virtually unknown girl in a rural Nigerian town to an international figure, venerated and adored by many around the world. The affection is linked to Leah’s belief and stance. Various sources, including some of the released schoolgirls, say Leah is being held by the terrorists because of her refusal to renounce her Christian faith.…READ MORE
Gunmen Kill Student, Kidnap 42 In Attack On Nigerian School
Unidentified gunmen killed a student in an overnight attack on a boarding school in the north-central Nigerian state of Niger on Wednesday and kidnapped 42 people including 27 students, the state governor said. The assailants stormed the Government Science secondary school in the Kagara district of Niger state at around 2 a.m., overwhelming the school’s security detail, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello said. “Twenty-seven students, three staff and 12 members of their families were kidnapped. Unfortunately, one student was shot dead,” he told a news conference. Aliyu Isa, a teacher, told local TV news station Channels that the abductors were dressed in army uniforms and shooting as they broke into the school….READ MORE
Four More Christians Killed by Fulani Jihadists
Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked and killed four Christians during an ambush on Sunday, February 14th, in north-central Nigeria. “Irigwe nation has again been thrown into the state of grief, heart-brokenness following the unwarranted killing of four of our Christian men by the Fulani herdsmen at two villages of Kwall District, Bassa LGA of Plateau state,” said David Mali, spokesman for the Irigwe Development Association, “Four of them from Rikwe-Chongu village were ambushed along Ri-Bakwa axis near Kpachudu, and three were killed instantly while one sustained gunshot injury. The other one from Zirshe (Ntireku) was ambushed and killed instantly.” Earlier this month, seven Christians were killed in a similar attack by Fulani Jihadists. At 7:30pm on Sunday, February 7, Fulani Herdsmen killed five Christians and hospitalized one in Kaduna state, while also burning down houses and food grains. On February 2nd, Fulani killed two Christians while they were traveling on a road in Dudu village.…READ MORE
OpEd by ICON Co-Founder: Brave Like Leah
For the past three years, February 19has been a day of sad remembrance for the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON). On February 19, 2018, 110 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Nigeria’s deadliest terrorist group, Boko Haram, from their school in Yobe State, Northeastern Nigeria. In March 2018, all of the surviving girls (five died in the return journey) were released except one, 14-year-old Leah Sharibu. Leah’s refusal to abandon her Christian faith and convert to Islam was the reason she was the only one remaining in captivity – a captivity she endures to this day. As a Christian, I am in awe of Leah’s strength and passion for our Lord, but as a father, I am heartbroken and devastated at the thought of what this teenager has suffered the past several years. Leah came face to face with the enemy and refused to back down knowing her refusal would result in enslavement, abuse and extreme hardship….READ MORE
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-Team ICON
