Senator Ali Ndume Speaks On Why ‘Leah Sharibu Is Still In Captive’

Ali Ndume, the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, while reacting to Leah Sharibu detention, revealed that the faction holding her in captive are demanding for ransom.

Ndume stated this while calling on the Nigerian Army to extend its anti-terrorism operations to the fringes of the Sambisa Forest and Mandara mountains.

He commended the military for their response to the recent attacks on Borno State but stated that the activities of the attackers had been on the increase.

Ndume, while speaking with Punch, expressed suspicion that the Boko Haram faction that abducted the Dapchi girls, must have been responsible for the recent attacks in the state.

He said, “The stronger ones who still have the audacity to carry out major attacks are those from Mohammed Nuru’s Boko Haram faction that is operating from the fringes, which is the group that we are suspecting got money from the negotiation for the release of the Dapchi schoolgirls.

“Now they are psychologically pressing for more money through propaganda by using Leah Sharibu.

“Yes, this is true because they must get money to carry out their operations, and the only source of money is the ransom paid to them. But then, the government is in a tight situation.”

He added, “I don’t know exactly what is happening. The truth of the matter is that there is a resurface or escalation of intermittent attacks by the insurgents, over which I have raised the alarm and to which I have called the attention of the authorities.

“But I am happy with the response of the Nigerian Army particularly after the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, ordered and relocated the operational headquarters of the Army to Gozombali in Guzama Local Government Area. That is very commendable.

“I am hoping that at the same time they will also increase and intensify the fight against insurgency in other blackspots in the Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains in Gworza Local Government Area.”