Remembering Leah Sharibu on the occasion of her 20th birthday

Early day motion 1156, tabled 11 May 2023 by Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party). Signed by 13 members.

That this House sends its sincere best wishes, as well as its renewed hopes for her speedy release from captivity, to Leah Sharibu on the occasion of her 20th birthday on 14 May; notes with deep regret that this will be the sixth birthday Leah has had to face since being kidnapped and held in sexual slavery by Islamic State West Africa Province following their 2018 attack a girl’s school in Dapchi, Yobe State, Nigeria, in which they killed five of the girls and abducted 104 others; recognises that of all the kidnapped girls, Leah is the only one who remains in captivity, reportedly because of her refusal to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam; understands that there is credible evidence to say that Leah is still alive; and therefore amplifies the oft repeated call for the government and the Nigerian authorities to do everything they can to secure Leah’s timely release and allow her to be reunited with her family.

Signatures by party: Scottish National Party 7, Plaid Cymru 3, DUP 1, Labour 1, Labour/Co-operative 1.