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Leah Sharibu Returns To Her Mum — But Only In A Dream

“Those minutes of excitement nearly took away all my sorrow. Sadly, it was a dream. I cried when I opened my eyes and realized it," she said. “I tried going back to sleep for more, but I couldn’t. I cried throughout that night and prayed that God should make it reality.”

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Rebecca Sharibu, the woman whose daughter Leah has been in Boko Haram captivity since February 19, has spoken about how her daughter once returned to her in a dream to share a rare hug with her, and how she cried helplessly after waking up to find out she had only been dreaming.
 
Speaking with Daily Trust, Rebecca said while asleep one night, Leah came to her, clad in a red cloth, hugged her and gave her a wide smile.
 
Leah Sharibu, who clocked 15 on May 14, is the only girl left in the custody of the Boko Haram insurgents after she refused to denounce Christianity, following her abduction with 111 other girls from Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State. 

According to Rebecca, Leah said to her in the dream: “I finally got my freedom Mama.

“Mama, I really suffered in [Boko Haram’s] hands. We sleep on leaves and barely take baths, but they fed me well.”

Rebecca added on the experience: “Yes, we hugged each other very tight in such a way that no force could separate us before narrating her ordeals to me.”

“Those minutes of excitement nearly took away all my sorrow. Sadly, it was a dream. I cried when I opened my eyes and realized it. 

“I tried going back to sleep for more, but I couldn’t. I cried throughout that night and prayed that God should make it reality.” 

She accused the Federal Government of failing to update her about the wellbeing of her daughter and the plans to ensure her safe return. She added that when Leah finally gains her freedom, she would not return to her Dapchi school.

“I’ve already transferred her brother to a school in Jos. She is the only one I am waiting for now,” she said.

“It’s very sad and frustrating each time we hear something from the media about our daughter. Recently, government said that negotiation for my daughter’s release is complicated.
“As parents, we should be informed of any development before going to press. The government’s way of relaying the information is making me angrier and more frightened by the day.”

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