Leah Sharibu, the Nigerian schoolgirl who has been held in captivity by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has reportedly remarried another terrorist commander after obtaining a divorce from her first husband, according to local security sources. Leah, abducted along with over 100 schoolmates from Government Girls Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, in February 2018, was initially married to Abdulrahman and purportedly converted to Islam. After securing a divorce, she is said to have married another ISWAP commander named Ali Abdallah in the Lake Chad area.
Security sources suggest that Leah, following her abduction, was trained to provide medical services to injured Boko Haram fighters and women. She reportedly leads the ISWAP medical team in the northern part of the Lake Chad area. The insurgents are known to force captives with expertise in various areas to train their members, exploiting skills in medicine, nursing, engineering, computer science, among others.
Leah’s reported remarriage and alleged role within the ISWAP medical team highlight the complex and distressing circumstances faced by captives within the region. Security sources have also noted movements of ISWAP fighters, including Leah and her new husband, through certain areas, indicating ongoing activities and potential security threats in the region.
