US Nigerian diaspora group offers to pay Boko Haram Leah Sharibu's ransom fee

AMERICAN diaspora body the US Nigeria Law Group (USNLG) based in Washington has offered to pay the ransom demanded by terrorist sect Boko Haram for abducted schoolgirl Leah Sharibu so she can be set free.

On February 19, Boko Haram abducted 119 students from their boarding school in Dapchi, Yobe State and about100 of them were later set free, while five were reported to have died. Leah, however, was not released by the terrorists for failing to renounce her Christian faith and her continued detention has been a focus for campaigners who have asked the government to secure her release.

Over the weekend, Boko Haram threatened to kill Leah and two other hostages it is holding within a month unless the Nigerian government responds to its recent set of demands concerning their release. Apparently, talks between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram are ongoing but the terrorist sect is not happy with the slow pace of the negotiations.

Keen to secure her release, USNLG has asked the Nigerian government to allow interested parties pay the ransom to secure Leah's release. It revealed that it has reached out to be United Nations to intervene in the matter but no action was taken.

In an open letter, titled Terrorists execute aid worker in the first ransom demand ever, threaten captive Christian schoolgirl, Leah, next, written by Emmanuel Ogebe, the UNLGW managing partner, it said: “We note the unsettling report that Boko Haram executed a female aid worker held captive since March 1. We were only recently alerted that the hostages were about to be executed and to escalate advocacy for their lives.

“We reached out to the United Nations but the staff spoken to at Unicef claimed not to be aware of the situation nor the fact that a Unicef worker was captured but promised to attend to the matter. In view of the gravity of the situation, we then reached out directly to the UN secretary-general in New York as we knew lives were in imminent danger.

“Thereupon, we disclosed same in the media to put the world on notice of the precarious condition of the hostages. We got an email and a call back trying to determine details of the hostages and we were able to verify some key facts around the attacks and confirmed the UN was, indeed, aware and updated them on a few facts."

Mr Ogebe added that they received assurances of action. He stressed: "We are saddened at the unfortunate news of the horrific execution of humanitarian worker and mother of two, 25- year-old Saifura Ahmed who’s frantic messages during the attack at Rann internally displaced persons (IDP) camp alerted the world to what happened that fateful night.

“Our research indicates that Saifura had a distressing chat with a friend that they were under attack and had to run to the nearby military base for protection. Her last voice chat indicated the attackers eventually breached the military base where she and others were taking refuge and that she was about to be harmed.

"Her last message in Hausa was oh my God they are now coming in, they are going to kill me. At USNLG, we take the lives of victims seriously and did everything possible to elevate this issue at the highest levels. We regret that this did not result in a favourable outcome but it was not for lack of trying.

“Our condolences go to the family of Saifura, the Red Cross community, aid workers and humanitarians globally. We must remain undaunted in the face of victimisation of humanitarians for good to transcend evil as it ultimately shall.

“We urge the Red Cross to provide generous death benefits for the family and educational scholarships for her little children including ongoing support to the hostages’ families now and we urge the UN secretary-general to elevate this hostage issue directly with General Buhari. We are confused at Buhari’s plea to the international community for assistance when it is clear that the resolution lies squarely on Nigeria’s shoulders."