The Presidency, on Thursday, reacted to reports that Leah Sharibu, one of the Dapchi schoolgirls abducted last year has been killed.

WuzupNaija reports that an aid worker with Action Against Hunger, Grace Taku, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists on July 18, had claimed in a “proof of life video” that Leah alongside one Alice had been killed by the insurgents because of the Federal Government’s inability to “do something”.

Although Taku did not expressly state whether it was Leah Sharibu or another Leah that was killed, the video sparked reactions and outrage on social media with many assuming immediately that it was Sharibu that was being referred to thereby.

In his reaction, however, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a Facebook post that negotiations for the release of all those in captivity were still ongoing.

Shehu, who did not say if Sharibu was alive or not, said the Presidency had been briefed on the matter and that action would be taken.

He wrote,

“The Presidency has been briefed by the responsible government agency about the disturbing video showing our citizens, the humanitarian aid workers held captive. The Presidency has been given assurances that contact is being made and the captors are being talked to.

“Beside these aid workers, there are some others about whom this engagement is about-Leah Sharibu, a religious leader and all the others. These discussions have been ongoing even before this time and what this latest incident has done is to bring urgency to the efforts that the secret service is making.

“Government is making contacts, in the hope that the captors will see reason to not visit hardship or even harm on these innocent individuals.”