The unverified claim-turned-fact used by many Media outlets that Leah Sharibu; one of the abducted Dapchi girls, was not released because she refused to ‘denounce her religious faith’ was maliciously translated to fit the narrative.
Earlier this year in February, 110 school girls were kidnapped from Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, by the Boko Haram insurgents with no difficulty.
About a month later, the girls gained freedom without payment of ransom according to Federal Government., who stated that they secured their release through “back-channel” negotiations.
The celebration was short-lived after it was discovered that five of the girls died due to stress and inconveniences encountered during their abduction, while one of the girls; Leah Sheribu was yet to be released.
Speaking to Newsmen following their release, Khadija Grema, said they were treated well when in custody of the insurgents and were never molested nor assaulted.
“They have been feeding us very well, they treated us very well. They did not beat us, they did not molest us.
“The people that took us away were all speaking Kanuri and Arabic. They didn’t tell us any meaningful reason why we were freed and returned. They just said we are Muslims and they felt it was right for them to free us so that we will not suffer.”
On the 5 girls that were reported dead, Grema said they died while being trampled upon inside the vehicle.
She added that Leah was not released by the group because she is a Christian.
“They freed all of us except one girl, Leah whom they said would not go because she was a Christian.”
While Khadija had only said she was not released due to her faith, the narrative was changed to “not renouncing her faith.”
The Secretary of the Abducted Dapchi Schoolgirls’ Parents’ Group, Kachalla Bukar, was one of the first persons that misinterpreted the situation when he said the girl was not released because “she refused to put on Hijab.”
Making it worse
With unclear reasons for her continuous abduction, Leah’s father, Nathan Sharibu, while speaking with Voice of America (VOA), further disfigured the narrative, alleging that his daughter was not released because she refused to convert.
“They told her to convert to Muslim and she told them that she would not convert to Muslim.
“I don’t want my daughter to be converted to any religion than Christianity.”
Since then the narrative from the Media has been that Leah was held back for refusing to denounce Christianity, a claim that has been bought by all and sundry including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which has threatened that war would ensue if the girl is not brought back alive.
Sahara Reporters, in a rather notorious attempt to fan crisis, reported with a screaming headline that President Buhari “ignored” Leah Sharibu in his Democracy Day speech. Whereas the President also did not mention about 100 Chibok girls still in captivity.
The media house, which doubles as a Presidential campaign vehicle for its founder, Omoyele Sowore, quickly added that Leah Sharibu was not released because she refused to denounce her faith.
The President in the speech did talk about the success against insurgency saying,
“Today, the capacity of the insurgents has been degraded leading to the re-establishment of authority of government and the release of captives including, happily, 106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls, and over 16,000 other persons held by the Boko Haram.”
Before this, the Federal Government has repeated spoken and updated Nigerians on the fate of Leah Sharibu and negotiations just for her hs been going on as the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed urged Nigerians not to forget her.
“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 at times but I can assure you we are not leaving her to her fate and those who should do are busy daily working on her release,” The Minister said.
Also speaking in Washington and London, President Buhari had by himself stated that negotiations are on to release Leah Sharibu,
“We are managing the matter quietly. Making noise would not help. We are collecting as much intelligence as possible, working with the Red Cross and other international organisations. There are too many fraudulent people around, who claim they can do this and that. We won’t deal with them. That was how we got the Dapchi girls back, and the Chibok girls.”
The government went as far as releasing a statement on her and playing into the hands of those who made the issue about renouncing her faith, as it says
“The President is equally mindful of the fact that true followers of Islam all over the world respect the injunction that there is no compulsion in religion. To this effect, no one or group can impose its religion on another. His heart goes out to the isolated parents who must watch others rejoice while their own daughter is still away. The lone Dapchi girl, Leah, will not be abandoned. President Buhari assures the Sharibu family that he will continue to do all he can to ensure that they also have cause to rejoice with their daughter soon.”
Yet media reports constantly present headlines which suggest Leah Sharibu was kidnapped by the government or nothing is being done or said for or about her release. Instances of this are seen when Christian bodies call for her release.
When the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria encouraged the Federal Government to use all in its power to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, The Sun Newspaper did a story with the headline “Release Leah Sharibu Now -PFN urges FG”
When the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) also called for efforts to help release her and blamed media houses for leaving the struggle for CAN, the Punch reported this as “Leah Sharibu must not die: CAN warn FG”
Some commentators hold that the Federal Government’s negotiations with Boko Haram for the release of Leah Sharibu may become even more difficult as the issue has been made into a story of the Christians versus the Muslim President.
