An American Pastor, Abu Zacharia, is currently in Nigeria to replace Leah Sharibu who has been held captive by Boko Haram since February 2018.
Boko Haram members raided the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College Dapchi, Yobe state on February 19, 2018 and they abducted 110 of the school girls. No fewer that five girls died during the abduction. The later released 104 of the schoolgirls and clinged on to Leah who did not denounce her Christian faith and she has been in captivity since then.
Pastor Zacharia, an American missionary who came with an American-based human rights advocate, Barrister Emmanuel Ogebe, disclosed this was his third trip to the country in recent months to negotiate Leah’s release. He said he was making efforts to meet with Book Haram leaders so he could be taken to replace Leah.
While speaking to newsmen over the weekend, Zacharia said: ”I am here in Nigeria, my third trip in four months to negotiate the release of Leah Shuaribu with Boko Haram. What am offering to them is to exchange Leah for myself and I will go into their captivity.
“So that is what am planning to do, once they find out that am here, I have already had one meeting with the government official, asking his assistance to have a meeting with Boko Haram. Wherever she is, am willing to go there and exchange myself.
“The basic of this is John 15:13 in the gospel “Greater love has no man than a man lays down his life for his brother and his sister. So I am here to, with the permission of my wife of 41 years and five children and nine grand-children, to see if I can negotiate her release. And they will release her and take me instead. And that is my goal.
“I have been doing full-time religious freedom work and international Christian humanitarian work in the war-zones. I have been to places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, Gaza, Sudan and Cuba, among others.”
