The Presidency has reacted to reports that Leah Sharibu, one of the Dapchi schoolgirls abducted last year has been killed.
Boko Haram insurgents had released “proof of Life video” wherein Grace Taku, an aid worker with Non-Governmental Organisation, Action Against Hunger, who was kidnapped by the terrorists on July 18, had claimed that Leah and a certain Alice had been killed because of Government’s inability to “do something”.
However reacting to the alleged death report, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a Facebook post that negotiations for the release of all those in captivity were still ongoing.
He wrote, “The Presidency has been briefed by the responsible government agency about the disturbing video showing our citizens, the humanitarian aid workers held captive.
The 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.”
