The Presidency on Saturday said that Leah Sharibu, the Christian Dapchi Secondary School girl who was held by the Boko Haram terrorists for not renouncing her Christian faith, is still alive.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, stated this in an interview with a group of journalists in Abuja.
There have been speculations that Leah Sharibu, a student of Government Girls Science and Technical School, Dapchi in Yobe State that was kidnapped in February 2018 may have been killed by her abductors.
But clearing the air on the condition of the kidnapped schoolgirl, Shehu said that the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration will not give up on the safe return of Miss Sharibu.
According to him, ‘‘Instead of giving up, the government is carrying forward processes that should hopefully yield her release by her captors.”
He told reporters emphatically that much of what had been written about the girl in the press was false news.
He said, “Lines of communications remain open with the kidnappers, ISWA, to secure the release of Leah Sharibu.
‘‘Contrary to false reports, she is alive – given assurances from our security agencies-, and the government is committed to her safe return, as well as all other hostages to their families.”
