The father of Leah, the only Dapchi schoolgirl still being held by the Boko Haram terrorists, Mr. Nathan Sharibu, on Saturday, debunked rumours that her daughter had been released.
Sharibu, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, described the purported release of Leah as an imagination of the originators of the story.
On Friday night, online platforms, quoting BBC Hausa Service, broke the news that Leah had regained her freedom and was on her way to reunite with her parents.
But speaking with our correspondent, Sharibu dismissed the rumour and urged those behind the story to stop creating confusion with fake news of Leah’s release.
He said, “Leah is not back yet, but we are praying and hoping that God will grant her freedom someday.
“I want to appeal to social media handlers to stop confusing us with fake news about Leah’s release.
“I know the traffic they generate with headlines about Leah, but such headlines should be authentic and not mere rumour.”
On how Leah’s mother, Rebecca was coping with the situation, Sharibu said she was better off compared to when the incident first happened.
Secretary of the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls parents association, Mallam Bukar Kachalla, also told our correspondent that the news of Leah’s release was not true, describing it as diversionary.