Headline

Nigerians celebrate Leah Sharibu as she marks 16th birthday in captivity

Published

7 years ago

May 15, 2019

Eric

Nigerians on Tuesday celebrated the 16th birthday of an abducted Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, as they asked the Federal Government to ensure her safe release from captivity.

Sharibu was among the 112 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram members at the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018.

While most of the victims were released, she was reportedly held for refusing to deny her Christian faith.

On Tuesday, May 14, Nigerians took to different social media platforms to mark her birthday as they demanded her release after 449 days in captivity.

The Convener of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, Oby Ezekwesili, lamented that despite assurances by President Muhammadu Buhari, Sharibu had yet to regain her freedom.

“History will record that a young daughter of our country #LeahSharibu was left behind when her schoolmates were retrieved from terrorist abduction. She stood unwilling to negotiate her faith for freedom. She’s 16 today. Tragic,” she wrote on Twitter.

A former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, while urging the government to do more to ensure her release, prayed for the victim’s family members.

He tweeted, “As Leah Sharibu marks her birthday in captivity today, I join other Nigerians and lovers of peace in the world to urge the FG to ensure her release. God will sustain her and her family members.”

A former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, said Sharibu exemplified the qualities of a true Christian.

“Today is Leah Sharibu’s birthday. She has been held captive by Boko Haram for over 400 days now simply because she refused to renounce her Christian faith. She is a reference point for courage, strength and faith and a source of inspiration and pride for every believer,” he said.

A popular Nigerian gospel singer, Penam Percy Paul, composed a special song to commemorate Sharibu’s birth, as he lauded her refusal to deny Jesus Christ.

The music video had been shared by many social media users as of Tuesday when it was released on the Internet.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alh Atiku Abubakar, said he hoped steps would be taken towards the release of all youngsters in captivity, including Sharibu.

“The mother of Leah Sharibu and the entire family are still waiting. The wait is getting longer. Nigerian authorities can put a smile on the face of her mother and her family by reuniting her with them,” Amnesty International also wrote on Twitter.

Headline

Defence Gulps Lion Share As Tinubu Presents N58.47trn 2026 Budget to NASS

Published

2 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has presented a budget of N58.47 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly, with capital recurrent (non‑debt) expenditure standing at N15.25 trillion.

Tinubu presented the budget on Friday, pegging the capital expenditure at N26.08 trillion and putting the crude oil benchmark at US$64.85 per barrel.

He said the expected total revenue is N34.33 trillion, projected total expenditure: N58.18 trillion, including N15.52 trillion for debt servicing. The budget is N23.85 trillion, representing 4.28% of GDP.

The budget was anchored on a crude oil production of 1.84 million barrels per day, and an exchange rate of N1,400 to the US Dollar for the 2026 fiscal year.

In terms of sectoral allocation, defence and security took the lion’s share with N 5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure at N3.56 trillion.

Headline

Mike Adenuga, Emmanuel Macron Hold High-Powered Meeting in Paris

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Accomplished billionaire businessman and Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, CdrLH, has held a private meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The two powerful citizens of the world held the meeting on Wednesday at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris.

The high-level engagement underscores the longstanding relationship between Dr. Adenuga and the French Republic, as well as his continued relevance in global business and diplomatic circles.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, Adenuga has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to economic development, telecommunications, energy, and humanitarian causes across Africa and beyond.

The meeting adds to Dr. Adenuga’s growing profile as a bridge between African enterprise and international leadership.

Headline

Free at Last: Burkina Faso Releases 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country earlier this month, Nigerian officials said.

The release followed a diplomatic intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet Burkina Faso’s Military Leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.

The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.