She Chose Jesus Over Freedom: Leah Sharibu Enters Year 9 as Boko Harams Forgotten Hostage

Leah Sharibu Still Held Captive After Eight Years for Refusing to Deny Christ

Leah Sharibu was 14 years old when Boko Haram militants raided the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, Nigeria on February 19, 2018. The insurgents, later identified as fighters aligned with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), abducted 110 schoolgirls that day.

One month later, 104 of those girls were returned to their families. Five had reportedly been killed during captivity. One girl did not come home. Leah Sharibu was separated from her classmates and held back for one reason: she refused to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam.

Eight years, two Nigerian presidents, and zero rescue operations later, Leah remains in captivity.

Her father, Nathan Sharibu, said in a public appeal:

I have not heard anything from federal or state governments since my daughter was abducted.

President Bola Tinubu's administration inherited the case from his predecessor, yet no proof of life communication has been publicly produced, no rescue operation announced, and no recovery timeline given.

Reports indicate Leah has been forcibly married to one or two Boko Haram commanders and has given birth to two children while in captivity. She turned 22 on May 14, 2025, having spent more than a third of her life as a hostage.

Dr. Gloria Puldu, president of the LEAH Foundation, told Truth Nigeria:

It is a national tragedy that we are still demanding the release of this young child who refused to renounce her Christian faith.

The ransom amount demanded for Leah was reportedly almost triple the amount paid for the release of the Chibok girls. The Nigerian government has not publicly addressed why negotiations have stalled or what steps are being taken.

Nigeria Fails Leah Sharibu: Christian Schoolgirl Enters Ninth Year in Boko Haram Captivity

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Open Doors, Amnesty International, and Church in Chains have all tracked and condemned Leah's ongoing detention. International advocacy groups continue to call for her release, but diplomatic pressure has produced no results.

Gideon Para Mallam, president of the Gideon and Funmi Para Mallam Peace Foundation, and the UK based advocacy group Kerygmos have led sustained campaigns demanding government action. Despite global awareness, the Nigerian government has offered no concrete plan.

The Crusader's Opinion

A 14 year old girl chose Christ over freedom and Nigeria's government abandoned her. Eight years. Two presidents. Nothing. Imagine for one moment if a Christian militia kidnapped a Muslim girl in any Western country. The entire world would mobilize within hours. But a Christian child rots in the hands of Islamic terrorists, and the silence from world leaders is deafening. Leah Sharibu's faith cost her everything, and the nations that lecture the world about human rights have done nothing to bring her home. This is not just a failure of government. This is evil, plain and simple, and every day of silence is complicity.

Take Action

• Pray daily for Leah Sharibu's release and for the safety of her children born in captivity.
• Contact the Nigerian Embassy in your country and demand a public update on Leah's status. In the US: (202) 986 8400.
• Write to your elected officials and ask them to raise Leah's case with Nigerian diplomats. Find your representative at house.gov.
• Support organizations working for persecuted Christians: donate to The Shepherd's Shield, Open Doors, or Voice of the Martyrs.
• Share Leah's story on social media using #FreeLeahSharibu to keep international pressure on the Nigerian government.
• Support the LEAH Foundation at leah-foundation.org which advocates directly for Leah's release.