Leah Sharibu: Buhari briefed, efforts ongoing to secure release of all hostages

The Presidency has reacted to a hostage video of aid workers kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State last week, wherein a female hostage had suggested that long-time hostage Leah Sharibu is dead.

In the video, the female hostage identified as Grace appealed to the Federal Government and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to assist in securing her release along with five men captured along with her.

She said that she did not want to end up like Hauwa Liman, an aid worker held hostage and later killed by Boko Haram, and Leah Sharibu, a secondary school student kidnapped in Dapchi, Yobe State.

In a statement, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said:

“The Presidency has been briefed by the responsible government agency about the disturbing video showing our citizens, the humanitarian aid workers held captive.
“Presidency has been given assurances that contact is being made and the captors are being talked to.
“Beside these aid workers, there are some others about whom this engagement is about – Leah Sharibu, a religious leader and all the others. These discussions have been ongoing even before this time and what this latest incident has done is to bring urgency to the efforts that the secret service is making.
“Government is making contacts, in the hope that the captors will see reason to not visit hardship or even harm on these innocent individuals. Government is working.”