HURIWA tasks Nigeria govt to intervene as terrorist sets to wed Abuja train captive, or else…

The federal government has been given a 24-hour deadline by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) to obtain the release of Azurfa Lois John, a 21-year-old Christian woman who was kidnapped in the terrorist attack on a Kaduna-Abuja train on March 28.

In a statement released on Saturday, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the national coordinator for HURIWA, warned that if the woman, who has been held captive for almost five months, is not freed, there will be a serious legal battle.

The group acknowledged that it would be hesitant to file a lawsuit against the federal government and to file a complaint with the US Commission on International Religious Freedom over President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

HURIWA noted that approximately 110 young and impressionable schoolgirls were kidnapped by ISWAP terrorists and while some were later freed after paying a high ransom, Leah Sharibu was supposedly married off to a combatant instead of being freed because she adamantly upheld her Christian religion and refused to renounce it.

Tukur Mamu, a terrorist negotiator, had revealed on Friday that a top bandit commander planned “to marry Lois, who is claimed to be the youngest victim of the train attack,” Onwubiko added, noting that ISWAP also threatened to hold Leah as a “slave for life.”

According to Mamu in the statement, the terrorists threatened to do to Lois the same thing they had done to Leah should her parents and the government fail to pay a N100 million ransom to secure her release like that of other hostages whose families and friends have been paying N100 million to secure their release.

Read also: HURIWA calls for Buhari’s resignation, berates mishandling of ASUU demands

“This is to alert the Federal Government and especially the Christian Association of Nigeria that we can confirm through credible information at our disposal that if urgent action is not taken to immediately secure the release of the youngest victim of the train attack, a 21-year-old Azurfa Lois John, the abductors as they have done in the case of Leah Sharibu, are planning to marry her any moment from now,” the statement read.

However, HURIWA described the report by Tukur Mamu, as unsavoury and should not be taken lightly.

“HURIWA gives the federal government 24 hours to secure the release of 21-year-old Azurfa Lois John, said to be the only young Christian victim and lady among the hostages. The government must take both non-kinetic and kinetic actions (as attested to by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu) to secure her prompt release.

“The threat by ISWAP fighters to marry off Lois to one of their top commanders is a testament to longstanding belief that terrorists are advancing the agenda of Islam and are untouchable but tolerated by the present Fulani government hence their multiplication and continued despoliation”, Onwubiko noted.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now