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Activist Knocks Buhari Over Leah Shabiru’s Continued Captivity

Published

3 years ago

December 26, 2022

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A peace advocate, Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, on Monday berated the Federal Government for its inability to secure the freedom of Leah Sharibu who had celebrated her fifth Christmas in the captivity of Boko Haram insurgents.

The activist called on President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress-led regime to fulfill his promise to release her from Boko Haram den.

He also reminded all men and women of goodwill, common sense and those who celebrate humanity to “remember that Leah Sharibu is an innocent human being, kept against her will in captivity by Boko Haram.”

Para-Mallam, President and CEO of Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, made the lamentation in a statement titled, ‘Leah Sharibu’s 5th Christmas in Captivity: Should we care or remain silent?’, obtained by journalists in Abuja.

Leah Sharibu was a 14 year old Christian girl at the time, when she was kidnapped from school in Dapchi, Yobe State on February 19, 2018.

While others were released, she was held captive because she refused apostasy to be converted to Islamic religion.

The activist said, “On Sunday December 25, 2022, Leah spent her 5th Christmas in captivity. The Nigerian government has not done enough to free Leah and other Christian girls and women who experience sexual abuse and slavery in various Boko Haram camps in Nigeria. Most of these Christian girls and women, including a few Muslim girls are held against their will.

“The international community needs to do more to free these girls and women. The trauma their parents and families go through is harrowing. Our Peace Foundation is in touch with some of these parents. I have remained in touch with Leah’s parents and other families. Many are heartbroken. How can Nigerians be so helpless with a government and military in place? We urge all men and women of goodwill: Christians and Muslims, to rise for the sake of our common humanity and act in a sustainable way to free these innocent women from Boko Haram’s captivity.

“The Buhari presidency and the ruling APC party likes credit to be given to the President in helping to secure the release of some of the kidnapped Chibok school girls back in April 2014. True, they have tried but the truth is this; their effort is frankly too little and very unimpressive. I want to ask, just exactly how many of these Chibok girls were released in the last seven years of this government? Can the numbers be compared with the several hundreds of women and girls who have also been kidnapped by Boko Haram in the last seven years?

“Yes, the Federal Government negotiated and secured the release of the remaining Abuja-Kaduna train victims recently. Yet, nothing conscious and concrete has been done to secure the release of Leah Sharibu and several others. Why? Many of these women and girls are scattered in several Boko Haram camps in the forests and hamlets of Borno State. What will Buhari or the APC party do to bring these girls home to their parents before May 29, 2023, when the tenure of this administration ends?

“We have appealed to the President of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, over and over including a passionate plea by Leah’s mother with President Buhari himself making a promise that he would do everything possible to bring Leah home to her parents.

“This promise was made in October 2018, it’s five years on and Mr. President, you have not delivered on your promise. You will soon be handing over and leaving the scene of the presidency of Nigeria. What a befitting gift you can give to this nation and to Leah’s family and to several other families, if you can rescue Leah and the other women and girls in captivity and deliver them home and hand Leah and others to their parents.

“But indeed it is not just Leah, because there are several others who are still in captivity. We have several others, Alice Ngada, Grace Tuka, Lilian Gyang Daniel, Praise Austin, Rejoice, two other Grace’s, Feyina, Jamaba, Hauwa and many others whose names I may not have time to mention here, one of them was actually a former young youth corp member who was returning home to Maiduguri after her service year.

“We have appealed to the international community, and we would continue to appeal to them but many times one is even confused. Is the international community really interested in seeing these women and girls set free? I am not convinced that the international community can only bark and is unable to do nothing to see Leah and others set free.

“Leah is also a global citizen, let’s all unite our hearts and hands together and work for the freedom of Leah and other women and girls in capacity.

“Once again, this is Leah’s fifth year in captivity. Even Boko Haram, I appeal to you, think about Leah as your own daughter and set Leah free. God created Leah with freedom, please don’t take away her freedom because you are not God. Ultimately, God is the judge of all of our actions. Remember God and act to free that innocent girl and several others that are in captivity. They will be freed by the grace of God.”

Headline

Trump Administration Proposes New Rule Limiting Nigerians, Others

Published

3 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The Trump administration has unveiled a proposal that would restrict the length of time international students can remain in the United States for their studies.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the regulation, which is expected to be published on Thursday, would impose a four-year cap on student visas and other categories of temporary admissions.

According to Fox News, the DHS said the proposal is part of efforts to curb “visa abuse” and strengthen the government’s ability to “properly vet and oversee these individuals.”

It added that some students have “taken advantage of U.S. generosity” and become “forever” students by staying enrolled in colleges to prolong their residence.

“For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens,” a DHS spokesperson stated.

“This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the U.S., easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and their history,” the spokesperson continued.

Currently, F visa holders may stay in the U.S. for the “duration of status,” meaning the period they are enrolled full-time. The new proposal would allow stays for the length of a programme but would not permit them to exceed four years, generally less than the time needed for postgraduate studies.

Foreign journalists would also be affected. Under the plan, they would receive an initial admission period of 240 days, with the possibility of a single extension for another 240 days, but not longer than their assignment.

The DHS said regular assessments would provide “proper oversight” and help reduce the number of people residing in the U.S. on temporary visas.

But education experts warned the measure could hurt universities financially. International students typically pay higher tuition and have fewer opportunities for scholarships, which contributes significantly to the financial support of American colleges.

“It will certainly act as an additional deterrent to international students choosing to study in the United States, to the detriment of American economies, innovation, and global competitiveness,” Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, said in a statement to Politico.

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Russia Hits Ukraine With ‘Massive’ Deadly Overnight Strikes

Published

7 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Russian forces launched a “massive” attack on Kyiv on Thursday, hitting the Ukrainian capital with strikes that killed at least four people and wounded around 30 others, Ukrainian officials said.

The attack came as Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over an impasse in diplomatic efforts towards a peace deal spearheaded by US President Donald Trump.

AFP journalists in Kyiv witnessed powerful explosions that illuminated the night sky and left behind a column of smoke.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said the strikes killed four people and wounded “about 30 people.”

Those killed included a 14-year-old girl, while five children aged seven to 17 were among those who sustained “injuries of varying severity,” Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city’s military administration, said.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the strikes as a “massive attack” that caused damage in several districts of the capital.

Tkachenko said Moscow had fired ballistic and cruise missiles as well as Iranian-designed Shahed drones from different directions to “systematically” target residential buildings.

Red tracer bullets sailed through the night sky in an effort to intercept drones above the city centre, an AFP journalist saw. At least one missile appeared to be shot down.

Around 100 people took refuge in a subway station, with some lying in sleeping bags and others holding their pets.

A five-story building in the Darnytsky district had collapsed, and a shopping mall was hit in the city centre, Klitschko reported.

– Ukrainian attacks on Russia –
Kyiv suffered one of its worst attacks of the over three-year war on July 31, leaving more than 30 people dead including five children.

Ukrainian officials also reported a Russian strike in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Thursday.

Russian authorities said they destroyed over 100 Ukrainian drones overnight. A Ukrainian attack sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the Krasnodar region but caused no casualties, according to local officials.

Russian forces have been slowly but steadily gaining ground in Ukraine in recent months, as diplomatic efforts have accelerated.

Trump held a high-profile summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this month, followed by a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies.

But there has been little progress since then.

Before concluding any peace agreement, Ukraine wants security guarantees from the West to deter any future Russian attacks.

Moscow has cast Kyiv’s demands as unrealistic and has raised particular objection to the notion of stationing Western peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.

Zelensky said on Wednesday that members of his administration would meet with US officials in New York on Friday.

The Ukrainian leader said he saw “very arrogant and negative signals from Moscow regarding the negotiations”, urging extra “pressure” to “force Russia to take real steps”.

AFP

Headline

Two US Pastors Arrested In $50m Human Trafficking, Fraud Case

Published

7 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Two church leaders in the United States have been arrested in an alleged multi-million-dollar conspiracy after multiple Federal Bureau of Investigation raids across the country on Wednesday, including one in Hillsborough County’s exclusive Avila neighborhood.

In a statement issued via its website on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said Michelle Brannon, 56, was arrested at a mansion near Tampa, while David Taylor, 53, was arrested in North Carolina over allegations of multi-million dollar money laundering, forced labour and human trafficking.

According to the DOJ, Taylor and Brannon are the leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International.

The Justice Department said Taylor referred to himself as “Apostle” and to Brannon as his Executive Director.

FBI officials said law enforcement arrested Brannon early Wednesday at 706 Guisando De Avila in Hillsborough County, which is owned by the church, according to property records.

Investigators arrested Taylor on Wednesday morning in North Carolina, while SWAT and FBI agents also raided a hotel owned by the church in Houston.

A 10-count indictment alleged that Taylor and Brannon ran call centres in Florida, Texas, Missouri, and Michigan to solicit donations to the church.

The pair convinced their victims to work at the call centres and work for Taylor as personal servants – referred to as “armour bearers” – for long hours without pay, according to the indictment.

Federal investigators said Taylor and Brannon “controlled every aspect of the daily living of their victims,” who slept at the call centre or in a “ministry” house and were not allowed to leave without permission.

The indictment also says the suspects forced the victims to transport women to Taylor and ensure that those women took Plan B emergency contraceptives.

The church received about $50 million in donations through its call centres dating back to 2014, according to the DOJ.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of using much of that money to buy luxury properties, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as boats, jet skis, and ATVs.

Taylor and Brannon face charges of forced labour, conspiracy to commit forced labour, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Each alleged crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a 10-count indictment against two defendants for their alleged roles in a forced labour and money laundering conspiracy that victimised individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the two defendants were arrested in North Carolina and Florida in a nationwide takedown of their forced labour organistion.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice.

“We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims,” he said.

Also speaking, U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan, said, “We will use every lawful tool against human traffickers and seek justice for their victims.

“A case like this is only possible through a concerted effort with our federal partners across the country and the non-governmental agencies who provide victim support. We thank them all.”

“The indictment of David Taylor and Michelle Brannon demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast efforts to protect the American people from human exploitation and financial crimes, including forced labour and money laundering.

“The alleged actions are deeply troubling. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Field Office, with strong support from our federal and agency partners in the FBI Tampa Field Office, FBI Jacksonville Field Office, FBI St. Louis Field Office, FBI Charlotte Field Office, FBI Houston Field Office, and the Detroit IRS-CI Field Office, in addition to several local, county and state law enforcement partners, for their role in executing this multi-state operation.

“The FBI in Michigan will continue to investigate those who violate federal law and remain focused on ensuring the protection and safety of our nation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

“Money laundering is tax evasion in progress, and in this case, the proceeds funded an alleged human trafficking ring and supported a luxury lifestyle under the guise of a religious ministry.

“IRS-CI stands committed to fighting human trafficking and labor exploitation, and pursuing those who hide their profits gained from the extreme victimization of the vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office.

According to the DOJ, conspiracy to commit forced labour carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000, while forced labour carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.

It noted that conspiracy to commit money laundering carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $500,000 or twice the value of the properties involved in the money laundering transactions.

It was gathered that Brannon appeared in federal court in Tampa on Wednesday afternoon, but an attorney for Brannon wasn’t present.

A judge asked where her attorney was and whether she had representation.

Brannon told the judge that she had two private attorneys, out of St. Louis and Oklahoma, who were already working with them. However, she said she hadn’t heard from either of them.

The judge said the attorneys were not able to be reached through the phone numbers provided to federal prosecutors. It’s not clear if Brannon has legal representation at this point.

The judge continued Brannon’s hearing to Thursday afternoon. He instructed Brannon to find an attorney in the Tampa area in the meantime.