Everyday Heroes: Leah Sharibu

Jeremiah Aluwong

6 years ago

When Christopher Wallace (a.k.a. Notorious B.I.G.) released his debut album, ‘Ready to Die’ in 1994, little did he know that a young girl, born many years later will become the embodiment of those words. But it’s not enough to just be ‘ready to die’; the cause –as per the reason, and the cause, as per the purpose is what separates the chaff from the wheat. One group are those who become‘ready to die’ because of hopelessness, defeat, grief etc. The other group are those who face death in all readiness from the position of joy and hope, a disposition of victory and triumph, a supposition of eternal reward. Leah Sharibu fits the latter category; as though she had lived in anticipation for such a time as this. She gives no room for a reconsideration and no show of exasperation; she looks at the eyes of Nebudchanezzer and smiles at the threat of Herod; Pharoah’s sword is not a problem neither is Nero’s fury a challenge. She lives as though she desires her name to be worth an epitaph in the cathedral of every heart that is convicted about anything. In fact, Leah Sharibu is the capsulized synopsis of Josh Macdowell’s book, ‘Beyond Beliefs to Conviction’.

Leah Sharibu: A Name Worth Writing in Bold and in Gold!

For many, life goes on. But for Leah, her parents and her entire family, February 19^th2018 is a day which will never be forgotten. Being abducted by Gunmen at Government Girls’ Science and Technology College, Dapchi, Yobe State (alongside 110 other school girls), Leah Sharibu’s only crime for remaining ‘captive’ is her allegiance to her Christian faith. With all the other girls released about a month after the abduction (except for the very few allegedly dead from shock), Leah has been remanded and held captive; an action not powerful enough to break her will. This reveals the allegory; being crushed yet, inspiring generations; being suppressed and hidden yet, glaring to the public eye and gaining popularity each day.

‘They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we are seeds’ — Dinos Christianopoulos

It seems as though it’s an attempt to put a life to an end, yet, the attempt reproduces more people of like minds and convictions. It’s the echo of ‘If Leah can face it, I can face it too’; it’s the depiction of the words, ‘They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we are seeds’.

Leah Sharibu: Beyond Beliefs to Conviction

Leah’s young age has encouraged many to learn from her resilient spirit and tenacity of faith. Her stance and deep convictions have also left many; those of the same and different faith alike to ponder on the depth of their convictions too. Will I stand? Will I fall? Will I ball up a fist? Will I recant my faith? Leah has answered all those questions in an emphatic manner; she will not turn back from her faith and convictions. Leah’s conviction is a radiating and blinding light from the cesspit of darkness. She has quelled doubts and fuelled faith in the hearts of many ‘Thomases’. She has reemphasized that though fear might even be resident in her head, in the final analysis however, faith is the landlord of her life. Leah dies for a living. Because while the world anticipates her return, she knows the other option is to wake up each day ready to say goodbye to life. Her actions have spoken louder than words, her convictions have cut deeper than swords. To Leah, her Christian faith is not only worth living for, it is worth dying for. Our Everyday Hero, A girl with deep convictions, a Phantom of Delight, A featherweight body in a Heavyweight category; Leah Sharibu.

Sources: Guardian NG, Vanguard NG, CNN.