The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to speed up actions in saving the last Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu still held in Boko Haram’s captivity.
Recall that 104 of the schoolgirls were freed and had since been reunited with their families last week.
However, the remaining girl, Leah Sharibu was not released because of her refusal to renounce Christianity for Islam.
Afenifere also called on the United Nations to investigate incessant killings by Fulani herdsmen across the country.
Afenifere’s position was contained in a communique issued at the end of its monthly meeting held at the residence of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo State capital, while the PFN’s was contained in a statement signed by its National President, Revd. Felix Omobude, on Tuesday.
The pan-Yoruba group’s communiqué was read to journalists by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin.
The Afenifere called on the Federal Government to ensure that the only Dapchi, Yobe State schoolgirl who still being held captive by Boko Haram, Leah Sharibu, and the remaining Chibok girls were rescued.
Odumakin said, “We want the Nigerian Government to make the type of arrangement they made to free the 111 schoolgirls to free Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok schoolgirls in the custody of their captors. The Buhari administration cannot beat its chest that it is better than Jonathan’s government when these girls are still in captivity.”
The PFN said that the continuous stay of Leah in bondage confirmed its worries that the activities of the terrorists and “killer herdsmen” had a “religious undertone.”
The PFN, therefore, urged the Federal Government to do its best in order to ensure that the Dapchi girl returned home unhurt.
The statement read in part, “What Leah Sharibu is going through has further confirmed our worries that the activities of Boko Haram and killer herdsmen have a religious undertone.
“This kind of thing should not be happening in a free and democratic nation like Nigeria. It is really unacceptable.
“We also call on her captors to release her unconditionally. The Federal Government must ensure her release just like the other girls.”
The Christian organisation, however, called on the international community and friends of Nigeria to assist the country in facilitating the safe release of the girl and reunite her with her family.
The PFN also urged Christians in the country to continue to offer prayers for her freedom.
Afenifere said there was a need for the international community to investigate the killings by herdsmen and prevent the development from degenerating into a full-blown civil war in Nigeria.
Afenifere, which noted that some people in some parts of the country were making pro-killer comments without any of them arrested by the government, called on the Federal Government to ensure disarmament of the killer Fulani herdsmen and reorganisation of the security organisations in the country.
The group said, “The primary duty of any government is to protect lives and property and any government that cannot do that is not a government. With this and the claim from Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, it is clear that there is a state-aided genocide going on in Nigeria at the moment and with all these statements, from those who should stop it, making pro-killer comments, it is clear that there is no remedy in the Nigerian state as presently constituted.
“We demand from the Nigerian authorities the immediate disarmament of the exclusive terror machine in the hands of Fulani herdsmen and the reorganisation of the architecture of security of Nigeria to reflect federal character.
“We also ask the United Nations’ rapporteurs on genocide to investigate what is going on in Nigeria because if this disaster degenerates into a full scale war, the international community would have a serious problem on its hands.”
