Nigerian gov't confirms one more Dapchi schoolgirl in Boko Haram's custody

ABUJA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Thursday confirmed that one more Dapchi schoolgirl remains in the terror group Boko Haram's custody.

The government gave the name of the remaining schoolgirl as Leah Sharibu and said there's an ongoing effort to bring her back home safely to her parents.

Sharibu and 109 other girls were abducted from an all-girl college in the northeastern town of Dapchi on Feb. 19 by Boko Haram.

A total of 104 of the schoolgirls were brought back to Dapchi by the terror group on Wednesday following a negotiation with the government.

Citing media reports, the statement noted the girl was held back by the terrorists over her decision not to convert from Christianity to Islam.

"President Buhari is fully conscious of his duty under the constitution to protect all Nigerians, irrespective of faith, ethnic background or geopolitical location and will not shirk in this responsibility," the statement added.

Five other girls may have died while in captivity, according to local media on Thursday.

Another girl and a boy were also freed along with the 104 schoolgirls.

Buhari will receive all the released abductees at the State House in Abuja on Friday, a presidential spokesman told Xinhua by telephone.

Dapchi, where the kidnapping of the schoolgirls took place a month ago, is located 100 kilometers from Damaturu, the capital of the northern state of Yobe.

Boko Haram is a Jihadist militant organization based in northeastern Nigeria. The United Nations believes Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 innocent people since 2009 through terror attacks. Enditem