A rally will be held in Washington in support of Lia Sharibu, a kidnapped Nigerian Christian schoolgirl

Christian human rights organizations are organizing a protest outside the Nigerian Embassy in Washington to draw attention to the plight of Lia Sharibu — a Nigerian Christian schoolgirl who was abducted by militants in 2018 and, according to the campaign organizers, has been held captive for eight years. Protesters intend to call on Nigerian authorities to step up efforts to secure her release and to protect women and girls who have been victims of abductions, sexual violence, forced marriages, and religious persecution.

According to Christian Today, the demonstration is scheduled for June 18 outside the Nigerian Embassy in the U.S. capital. It is being organized by Christian Freedom International, 21Wilberforce, and Jubilee Campaign. The date of the event coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The event, titled #EndTheSilence, will be part of the Religious Liberty Partnership’s Voices4Justice initiative, which aims to raise awareness about violations of religious freedom around the world. The organizers emphasize that the case of Leah Sharibu has become one of the most well-known international examples of religious persecution in recent years.

Leya Sharibu was abducted on February 19, 2018, when militants from the group “Islamic State in West Africa” attacked the State Science and Technology College for Girls in Dapchi, Yobe State. She was 14 years old at the time. More than 100 schoolgirls were taken captive along with her. Most of them were subsequently released or managed to escape; however, according to human rights activists, Leah was held captive after she refused to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam.

According to the campaign’s organizers, Leah remains the last captive among the schoolgirls abducted in Dapchi. For her family, these years have been a time of uncertainty and separation; however, as campaign participants note, her parents continue to hope for her return home.

The campaign also draws attention to the work of the Leah Foundation, founded by Nigerian human rights activist Gloria Puldu. The organization engages in advocacy, maintains dialogue with policymakers, and assists victims of abduction and violence. The initiative references the report *Hijacking Innocence*, which compiles testimonies from young Christian women who endured captivity, sexual violence, and forced marriages before they were freed or managed to escape.

The organizers state that many such cases remain out of the media spotlight, and the families of the victims often face difficulties in seeking justice and receiving support. At the rally, human rights activists intend to call on Nigerian authorities to strengthen measures to secure the return of Lia Sharibu and other abducted women and girls, expand assistance to survivors, investigate cases of abductions, forced marriages, and sexual violence, hold the perpetrators accountable, and enhance protection for communities at risk of attack.

A letter containing these demands is scheduled to be delivered to Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Latif Kayode Kolavole Are. According to the organizers, the initiative centers on protecting the fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief. Supporters of the campaign are also being urged to pray for Leah Sharibu, her family, and other victims, as well as to share their stories in churches and local communities.

“Eight years is too long,” the organizers state, urging the international community not to forget Leah Sharibu and the many other women and girls in Nigeria who are still waiting to be freed.