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TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Office of the President  |  National Assembly  |  Federal Ministry of Justice

BRING LEAH SHARIBU HOME:

A CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THE OCCASION OF HER 23RD BIRTHDAY

14 May 2026

PREAMBLE

We, the undersigned citizens of Nigeria and members of the global community who stand in solidarity with the Nigerian people, hereby present this petition to the Federal Government of Nigeria. We do so with urgency, grief, and an unwavering conviction that the continued captivity of Leah Sharibu is a matter of national conscience that demands immediate and decisive action.

On 14 May 2026, Leah Naomi Sharibu turns 23 years old. She will not celebrate this birthday in freedom. She has not celebrated a birthday in freedom since she was 14. This petition is our collective voice in place of the birthday she cannot have.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

1. On 19 February 2018, armed militants of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP/Boko Haram) attacked the Government Girls' Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, Nigeria, and abducted 110 schoolgirls.
2. By March 2018, 104 of the abducted girls had been released. Five died during the abduction. One girl — Leah Sharibu — was deliberately withheld because she refused to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam.
3. As of February 2026 — the eighth anniversary of her abduction — Leah Sharibu remains in captivity. She is the only remaining hostage from the Dapchi attack.
4. Reports from women who have since escaped or been rescued from ISWAP captivity confirm that Leah is alive, has been subjected to forced marriage, and has given birth in captivity.
5. Despite repeated assurances from successive Nigerian administrations, the government has not provided any verifiable proof of life, any transparent account of rescue efforts, or any meaningful communication to Leah's family.
6. International partners, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), have repeatedly called for Leah's rescue and offered intelligence and technical assistance that has reportedly not been fully utilised.
7. In February 2026, international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe disclosed that negotiations for Leah's ransom release had been initiated but broke down. The ransom demanded was nearly triple the amount paid for the 102 Chibok girls. All three Boko Haram leaders involved in those negotiations have since died.

CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL GROUNDS

This petition is grounded in the following obligations of the Nigerian State:

• Section 33(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended) — guaranteeing the right to life of every Nigerian citizen.
• Section 38(1) — guaranteeing freedom of thought, conscience, and religion: the very freedom for which Leah Sharibu has been held captive.
• The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights — to which Nigeria is a signatory — which imposes obligations to protect citizens from cruel and degrading treatment.
• The United Nations Convention against Torture — which obliges State parties to take effective measures against torture and cruel treatment in all circumstances.

WE THEREFORE DEMAND

1. Immediate, transparent disclosure of all government-led efforts to locate and rescue Leah Sharibu, including intelligence operations, diplomatic engagements, and negotiations.
2. Full acceptance of technical, intelligence, and diplomatic assistance offered by international partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and other allied nations.
3. The appointment of a dedicated, high-level Special Envoy for the rescue of Leah Sharibu and all other women and girls currently held in captivity by ISWAP and affiliated groups.
4. Regular, verified proof-of-life communications to Leah's family — Nathan and Rebecca Sharibu — as a minimum act of humanitarian responsibility.
5. A comprehensive national strategy for the rescue and rehabilitation of all women and girls abducted by insurgent groups in Nigeria, with ring-fenced funding and legislative oversight.
6. A formal, public presidential statement addressed to Leah Sharibu's family and the Nigerian people, acknowledging the government's moral obligation and committing to a clear timeline for action.

CLOSING DECLARATION

Leah Sharibu did not ask to become a symbol. She asked only to remain who she was — a young girl, a student, a Nigerian citizen, a Christian. She paid for that conviction with nine years of her life. Nigeria has now spanned three presidential administrations since her abduction. Three administrations. One girl. Still waiting.

Her mother Rebecca has wept through nine birthdays. Her father Nathan has waited through nine years of silence from a government sworn to protect its citizens. Her brother Donald has grown up without his sister.

We will not stop speaking until Leah comes home. We call upon the President, the National Assembly, the judiciary, civil society, faith communities, and the international community: do not let her turn 24 in captivity.

The world is watching. God is watching. And the people of Nigeria are watching.

SIGNATORIES

By signing below, I/we affirm our support for this petition and call upon the Federal Government of Nigeria to take immediate action for the rescue of Leah Sharibu and all women and girls in captivity in Nigeria.