The co-chair of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace Sunday Onuoha has called for the release of Leah Sharibu, who has spent four years in Boko Haram’s captivity.

On Wednesday, Mr Onuoha made the call in a keynote address at a one-day ‘National Security Sensitisation and Re-orientation Campaign’ organised by the National Orientation Agency in Umuahia.

Ms Sharibu was among 110 students abducted on February 19, 2018, by the Islamist terrorist group at the Government Girls’ Science Technical College, Dapchi.

Most of the girls were released later by the insurgents.

Mr Onuoha, the Vision Africa Radio president, described the abducted girl as “an image becoming increasingly difficult to explain to the young generation, the youths and international friends.”

“Why has Leah remained in the hands of her abductors for four years now? The truth remains that as long as Leah and others remain captives, we all are in captivity,” he said.

He called on the government to invest in youth education and empowerment programmes at various levels, describing them as the only panacea against restiveness and violence in Nigeria.

Mr Onuoha further urged the government to quickly address the yawning gap between the rich and poor and resuscitate the nation’s middle class. The interfaith group leader also demanded the abolition of the state of origin policy.

The campaign was organised by NOA in collaboration with the Abia State Ministry of Information and Strategy.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu expressed the government’s readiness to partner NOA to promote national security.

Mr Ikpeazu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chris Ezem, promised that the government would provide adequate support to the agency to boost its sensitisation and advocacy campaigns on the issue.

“I charge everyone to be security conscious, provide the relevant agencies with intelligence reports and report all suspicious movements around us,” stated Mr Ikpeazu.

Earlier, Ngozi Okechukwu, NOA’s director, described peace as the cornerstone of development and social reintegration.

Ms Okechukwu described the task of building a safer and secure nation as the responsibility of every citizen.

“If we fail to take decisive actions to improve the GDP, foreign reserve, employment, electricity and stop inflation and foreign debt, for sure youth agitations will continue and we may not escape the mayhem,” she explained.

Also, the Federal Road Safety Corps boss, Boboye Oyeyemi, said peace and security remained fundamental to societal growth and economic advancement.

Mr Oyeyemi, represented by the FRSC sector commander in Abia, Paul Ugwu, promised that the agency would work in synergy with the agency to ensure that the campaign’s objectives would be achieved.

Police commissioner Janet Agbede described education as an important factor in addressing the problem of insecurity and building national security.

(NAN)