Christians in the U.K. and Nigeria held a
protest on Wednesday to mark the 150 days
that have passed since a 15-year-old
Christian girl was kidnapped along with 110
others by the Islamic radical group Boko
Haram in Nigeria.
The girl, Leah Sharibu, is the only person
among that group who's still being held
captive by the terrorists because she refuses
to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which says
that Sharibu "paid the price" for her faith
with her freedom, is calling on Christians
worldwide to pray and take action by
staging protests demanding the teenager's
safe return to her family.
One such protest took place at the Nigerian
High Commission in London on Wednesday,
with Christians praying and holding signs in
support of Sharibu.
"It's very important to remember that this
isn't just a protest — this is prayer and
protest. CSW believes in those two things
going together," CSW CEO Mervyn Thomas
told Premier in an article on Wednesday.
"So we're hoping first of all that God will
answer prayer but we're also hoping that
the Nigerian government will take action,"
Thomas added.
In February, Sharibu became one of the
thousands of women and children Boko
Haram has kidnapped in its raids in the
African country.
Her mother, Rebecca Sharibu, told
persecution watchdog group Open Doors
USA in April that she's proud of her
daughter.
Mother of Kidnapped
Nigerian Schoolgirl Who
Refuses to Denounce Jesus
Has Urgent Plea for
Christians
Justin Welby Pleads for
Rescue of Christian Girl Who
Refuses to Convert to Islam
in Buhari Meeting
"I know God will never forsake her. When
she went away to school, I gave her a copy
of the Bible so she could have her personal
devotions even when I am not there. As her
mother, I know her to be an obedient
daughter, respectful and someone who puts
others before herself," the mother said at
the time.
Nigerian celebrities, such as veteran singer
Onyeka Onwenu, have also been making
pleas to President Muhammadu Buhari to do
more to find and rescue Sharibu.
"President Buhari, I urge you to use every
influence, every avenue to put pressure on
Boko Haram to release Leah Sharibu who
chose to remain loyal to Jesus Christ and
every other person held in captivity,"
Onwenu pleaded on Facebook.
"Leah is a straight 'A' student, I am begging
Boko Haram to please in the name of all
that is good, release every captive let them
live, let Nigeria live," the singer added.
"I also call on President Buhari to be
inspired by the successful rescue mission of
the Thai boys to do the same to rescue
children held by Boko Haram."
On Tuesday, International Christian
Concern shared a letter from Sharibu's
father, Nathan, who said: "There is still no
news about our daughter. We need help
from whosoever to mount pressure on the
federal government of Nigeria to do
whatever it can to get our daughter
released."
ICC's Regional Manager, Nathan Johnson,
urged the Buhari administration against
giving up on Sharibu and other kidnapped
schoolgirls ahead of the 2019 political
elections.
"We, as the concerned international
community, must continue to work on
behalf of Leah and the other Chibok girls
still in captivity. We must not let people
forget the danger and suffering that these
courageous young women are facing daily,"
Johnson added.
Nigeria's Christian associations have
warned that there would be a "religious
war" should Sharibu be killed by the
Islamists.
"Leah Sharibu must not die. Her death, God
forbids, can spell doom for Nigeria. It can
give an open invitation to religious war
because Leah is being detained purely
because of her religion," Adebayo Oladeji,
special assistant on media and
communications, to the Christian
Association of Nigeria President, said in May.
protest on Wednesday to mark the 150 days
that have passed since a 15-year-old
Christian girl was kidnapped along with 110
others by the Islamic radical group Boko
Haram in Nigeria.
The girl, Leah Sharibu, is the only person
among that group who's still being held
captive by the terrorists because she refuses
to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which says
that Sharibu "paid the price" for her faith
with her freedom, is calling on Christians
worldwide to pray and take action by
staging protests demanding the teenager's
safe return to her family.
One such protest took place at the Nigerian
High Commission in London on Wednesday,
with Christians praying and holding signs in
support of Sharibu.
"It's very important to remember that this
isn't just a protest — this is prayer and
protest. CSW believes in those two things
going together," CSW CEO Mervyn Thomas
told Premier in an article on Wednesday.
"So we're hoping first of all that God will
answer prayer but we're also hoping that
the Nigerian government will take action,"
Thomas added.
In February, Sharibu became one of the
thousands of women and children Boko
Haram has kidnapped in its raids in the
African country.
Her mother, Rebecca Sharibu, told
persecution watchdog group Open Doors
USA in April that she's proud of her
daughter.
Mother of Kidnapped
Nigerian Schoolgirl Who
Refuses to Denounce Jesus
Has Urgent Plea for
Christians
Justin Welby Pleads for
Rescue of Christian Girl Who
Refuses to Convert to Islam
in Buhari Meeting
"I know God will never forsake her. When
she went away to school, I gave her a copy
of the Bible so she could have her personal
devotions even when I am not there. As her
mother, I know her to be an obedient
daughter, respectful and someone who puts
others before herself," the mother said at
the time.
Nigerian celebrities, such as veteran singer
Onyeka Onwenu, have also been making
pleas to President Muhammadu Buhari to do
more to find and rescue Sharibu.
"President Buhari, I urge you to use every
influence, every avenue to put pressure on
Boko Haram to release Leah Sharibu who
chose to remain loyal to Jesus Christ and
every other person held in captivity,"
Onwenu pleaded on Facebook.
"Leah is a straight 'A' student, I am begging
Boko Haram to please in the name of all
that is good, release every captive let them
live, let Nigeria live," the singer added.
"I also call on President Buhari to be
inspired by the successful rescue mission of
the Thai boys to do the same to rescue
children held by Boko Haram."
On Tuesday, International Christian
Concern shared a letter from Sharibu's
father, Nathan, who said: "There is still no
news about our daughter. We need help
from whosoever to mount pressure on the
federal government of Nigeria to do
whatever it can to get our daughter
released."
ICC's Regional Manager, Nathan Johnson,
urged the Buhari administration against
giving up on Sharibu and other kidnapped
schoolgirls ahead of the 2019 political
elections.
"We, as the concerned international
community, must continue to work on
behalf of Leah and the other Chibok girls
still in captivity. We must not let people
forget the danger and suffering that these
courageous young women are facing daily,"
Johnson added.
Nigeria's Christian associations have
warned that there would be a "religious
war" should Sharibu be killed by the
Islamists.
"Leah Sharibu must not die. Her death, God
forbids, can spell doom for Nigeria. It can
give an open invitation to religious war
because Leah is being detained purely
because of her religion," Adebayo Oladeji,
special assistant on media and
communications, to the Christian
Association of Nigeria President, said in May.
Comments