Kankara Schoolboys: Are you president to only Muslims, group queries Buhari

By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

You are a President to both Christians and Muslims because we all voted you into power, why then will it take you only six days to rescue the Kankara school boys that were kidnapped in Katsina State, while Christian girls including Leah Sharibu have been in captivity for over six years, a group of Christian women in Northern Nigeria queries President Mohammadu Buhari.

The women who expressed anguish full of emotions during a peaceful protest in Jos on Saturday, also asked Buhari how he has been able to sleep at night knowing that these girls who are raped daily by their abductors are still in captivity.

Although the women congratulated Buhari for the swift rescue of the Kankara boys but reminded him that Leah Sharibu who has refused to deny her Christian faith has remained in the hands of her abductors.

Expressing her disappointment,  President of LEAH Foundation, Dr. Gloria Puldu, said various groups have appealed to the federal government on different occasions in the past years to prevail on Boko Haram to release all the abducted girls and women in their net, but nothing has been done.

“112 Chibok school girls have been in captivity for the past six years, while Leah Sharibu three years in the hands of her abductors.

“We stand on behalf of every girl and woman in Nigeria to demand that the government and security agencies should use the same tactics used to rescue the boys to bring back all the girls and women who are still in the hands of their tormentors.

“With a loud voice we call on the federal government to rescue Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok school girls who have been in captivity”.

However, Puldu said as mothers, they are happy that the boys are back, but urged the President to double his efforts to rescue other girls and women in the hands of Boko Haram.

“We gather as women from northern Nigeria to commend and appreciate the President and the security agencies for rescuing these boys within the shortest possible time”, Puldu added.

Also at the protest, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), gave the federal government between now and Christmas to rescue all Christian women and girls in Boko Haram captivity.

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CAN represented by the Chairperson of the Women Wing in Plateau, Amb. Rhoda Jehota, urged Buhari to stop treating Christians with disdain.

Jehota said northern Christians have suffered needlessly in the hands of terrorist groups in the region, saying that most of them have deserted their homes and villages all in the name of Boko Haram.

“As we approach Christmas, I want to urge President Buhari to intensify efforts in rescuing the 122 Chibok girls including Leah since he has the strategy to rescue the Kankara school boys in six days”, Jehota said.