Sen. Cruz Joins Rebecca Sharibu in Renewing Calls for Boko Haram to Release Leah Sharibu

Press Release

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this week renewed calls for the release of Leah Sharibu, who was abducted in 2018 by the Islamic terrorist organization Boko Haram and remains in captivity for refusing to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam. Joined by Leah's mother, Rebecca Sharibu and Tony Perkins, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Sen. Cruz said at an event hosted by the International Committee on Nigeria:

"In the face of evil Leah has demonstrated, and is demonstrating tremendous courage. Leah was 15 when she was kidnapped. So far, she has spent two birthdays in captivity. Part of Boko Haram's barbaric and inhumane behavior includes, not just kidnapping and murdering innocent people, but specifically, exploiting children. They target children deliberately. According to UNICEF, Boko Haram has kidnapped over 1,000 children in Nigeria since 2013...And then in 2018, Boko Haram kidnapped the 104 girls from Dapchi, including Leah. [Boko Haram] targeting children, targeting little girls and little boys to kidnap, torture, and murder them, is the very face of evil. It is the personification of evil."

Sen. Cruz has been a staunch supporter of political dissidents and persecuted religious minorities worldwide, and this week led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Nigerian President Buhari urging the Buhari administration to work towards securing Leah's release. Earlier this year, Sen. Cruz urged the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to formally designate Leah Sharibu a Religious Prisoner of Conscience. This designation was made as one of Tony Perkins first acts since becoming Chair of the Commission in June 2019.

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