Rebecca Sharibu, the mother of Leah Sharibu—the Christian schoolgirl kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2018—has celebrated her daughter’s 22nd birthday, which also marks her seventh year in captivity.
Leah was one of 110 girls kidnapped from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018.
While most of the girls were eventually released, Leah was apparently held back because she refused to renounce her Christian religion.
Mrs Sharibu expressed her sadness at the protracted separation in a poignant video posted on Open Doors UK’s social media page on Thursday.
Despite the years, she maintained her faith and expressed hope that God would still bring her daughter home.
She urged all people of faith and conscience to continue praying—not just for her, but for all those imprisoned because of their religious beliefs.