Nigeria’s Evangelical Church Winning All has called for three days of prayer and fasting for the release of a Christian schoolgirl held by Boko Haram who reportedly refused to renounce her faith in exchange for freedom.
Leah Sharibu, 15, was among 110 schoolgirls abducted by a faction of the terror group on 19th Feburary from a government school in Dapchi, Yobe state. Five of the girls reportedly died enroute to the terrorist’s base.
Some 104 of the girls were returned to Dapchi on 21st March but they confirmed Ms Sharibu had not been allowed to disembark the vehicle bound for Dapchi after she refused to recite the Islamic profession of faith.
ECWA President Rev Dr Jeremiach Gado has called on all of the church’s members to fast and prayer from 27th to 29th March for the release of Ms Sharibu, who along with her family are members of the church, and urged Christians everywhere to join them.
The call has been supported by religious freedom advocacy, Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Mervyn Thomas, CEO of the UK-based organisation, said he encouraged the church worldwide to join ECWA in praying and fasting for Leah’s release.
In a statement released late last week, he also called for the Nigerian Government to prioritise freeing those girls still being held by Boko Haram who were among more than 200 girls kidnapped from a Chibok school four years ago. It has been reported that of the 112 girls who still remain unaccounted for, only 30 remain alive.
Alongside addressing the attacks of Boko Haram, Mr Thomas said the Nigerian Government also needed to make addressing violence perpetrated by the Fulani militia against Christians in Nigeria a priority.
CSW says some 300 people were killed in March alone in Nigeria thanks to armed violence mostly perpetrated by Boko Haram and Fulani militia.
“Sadly, the relentless death and destruction, which has been ongoing since May, 2015, indicates either an inability or an unwillingness on the part of the government to fulfil its primary mandate of protecting citizens,” Mr Thomas said with reference to the latter.
“There is an urgent need for proactive, holistic and well-resourced security arrangements to deal effectively with this violence, which has evolved into a critical threat to national security. In order to combat lawlessness, erode impunity and safeguard national unity, vulnerable communities must be protected, and the perpetrators and facilitators of this violence must to be apprehended.”