The Presidency has perfected moves to exploit the imminent release of the only Dachi girl in captivity, Leah Sharibu, to gain desperately needed popularity ahead of the February 16 presidential election.
Information from top security circles available to this newspaper showed Miss Sharibu has already been moved to a secured location waiting for an eventual public handing over.
It is further learnt the ongoing drama over the alleged death of the Christian girl in the face of her imminent freedom are merely ploys to change the narrative of failure about the administration.
“I can tell you the girl may be officially released within a day or two but they want to use her to get some votes from Christians who feel betrayed by the administration,” a top security source told this newspaper.
“The plot is to delay the release of the girl till a few days to the election so that they could get maximum political leverage and perhaps, use that to show to Nigerians they have delivered on their promise.”
With the experience of the abduction of close to 300 girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014, the source said the abduction of 110 Dapchi girls could have been averted.
Barely a week to the all-important presidential poll, the agitation for the release of Miss Sharibu has been rekindled just as the family of the girl made a passionate plea to President Muhammadu Buhari.
But in a move reminiscent of a well-crafted script, a spurious news item suddenly appeared in a strange online platform claiming Miss Leah Sharibu has been killed.
The story titled, “This Sad News Broke My Heart Today – Leah Sharibu is Dead,” which immediately trended on social, quoted a family source to have said they were under pressure to keep mute about the girl’s death until after the presidential election.
BZ Program, the source of the controversial story wrote, “The only Christian girl, Leah Sharibu who remained in the dreaded Boko Haram camp after being abducted early last year is dead.
“A family source who pleaded anonymity confirmed this to BZ PROGRAM today.”
Quoting a family source, it continued, “We knew Leah was already dead but were under pressure to remain mute until after this presidential election, in order to protect the president’s image.”
But this newspaper learnt that the latest claims and counterclaims about the girl are meant to drive a new narrative before the elections.
Barely hours after the story appeared online, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, issued a statement, describing it as “absolute fake news.”
In a statement titled, “Leah Sharibu ’s Death Report ‘Absolutely Fake News’ – FG,” Mr. Mohammed debunked the claim and blamed the opposition for the report.
“I think it is part of the opposition’s strategies to throw everything at the administration and at the President. I think every day they are realizing the hopelessness of their position,” the minister is quoted to have said.
“Every day they are amazed by the support Mr. President is receiving from every part of the country and they have decided that they are going to spread falsehood, inflame passion and make this election a Muslim-Christian affair or North-South affair, but people are not listening to them.”
On February 19, 2018, at 5:30 pm, 110 schoolgirls aged 11–19 years-old were allegedly kidnapped by Boko Haram from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi.
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Dapchi is located in Bulabulin, Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State, in Nigeria’s troubled North-east region.
Shortly after they were taken away, the Nigerian Airforce and other security agencies were deployed to search and bring them home as pressure mounted on the government.
The Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam blamed the military for disbanding checkpoints in the town lying approximately 275 kilometres northwest of Chibok, where over 276 schoolgirls were earlier kidnapped.
Mr. Geidam had queried why troops were withdrawn from Dapchi barely hours before the abduction and without informing either the local police or the state government.
While the military initially refused to respond to the governor’s query, it later made contradictory claims to explain the controversial troops’ withdrawal.
The army claimed it withdrew its men due to the absence of Boko Haram activity in the area, and that it formally handed over Dapchi’s security to the police.
But the state police commissioner strongly denied the army’s claim and challenged its leadership to show proof of any notification it gave before the withdrawal.
The army did not contest the claim of the police chief and did not also show evidence it officially handed the town as required under their rules of engagement.
There was also uncertainty over the number of students kidnapped as the governor and the parents of the missing girls offered conflicting figures.
Mr. Geidam initially said 94 schoolgirls were kidnapped and that 48 had returned to their parents, with only 46 still missing.
Bashir Manzo, the chairman of the Forum of Missing Dapchi Schoolgirls Parents said that 105 girls were missing
However, the then police commissioner, Abdulmaliki Sunmonu said 111 schoolgirls were missing.
On March 21, 2018, the Federal Government announced the insurgents returned 106 of the kidnapped children, including 104 girls who went to school, one girl who did not and a boy.
Miss Leah Sharibu was not freed allegedly on the ground that she refused to convert to Islam
The return of the girls was steeped in controversy as security operatives cordoned off the route expected to be used by the insurgents and would not allow any journalist to witness the drop-off.
The group, it was learnt, dropped the girls off in the town using nine vehicles while the information minister insisted the release was unconditional.
The insurgents, who were given free passage in and out of Dapchi, while journalists were kept away, were said to have been cheered by residents who even gave them fruits and snacks.
With the imminent release of Miss Sharibu during the week, it is hoped that the drama associated with the abduction of the Dapchi girls would run full circle.
