The Nigerian Presidency has reacted to claim that Boko Haram terrorists have killed Leah Sharibu, a schoolgirl kidnapped in Dapchi, Yobe State last year.
Grace Taku, an aid worker kidnapped in Borno State on July 18, made the claim in a video released by the insurgents on Wednesday.
According to Grace, who works with Action Against Hunger, Leah and some other people were killed because of the inability of the Federal Government to save them.
“I am begging on behalf of all of us. I don’t want such to happen to us and it also happened again with Leah and Alice, because Nigeria could not do anything about them, they were not released they were also killed,” the woman said in the video.
Reacting in a statement released on Thursday, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the Presidency is aware of the video.
Mr Shehu said the government has been given assurances that contact is being made with the captors to secure the release of the captives, including Leah Sharibu.
The statement reads: “The Presidency has been briefed by the responsible government agency about the disturbing video showing our citizens, the humanitarian aid workers held captive.
“Presidency has been given assurances that contact is being made and the captors are being talked to.
“Besides these aid workers, there are some others about whom this engagement is about-Leah Sharibu, a religious leader and all the others. These discussions have been ongoing even before this time and what this latest incident has done is to bring urgency to the efforts that the secret service is making.
“Government is making contacts, in the hope that the captors will see reason to not visit hardship or even harm on these innocent individuals.”
Paris-based Action Against Hunger has confirmed that Grace is one of its workers abducted by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group.
