The Ese Ororu Story Part 2

My son never cohabited with Ese — Yunusa’s father By Clifford  Ndujihe, Kingsley Omonobi, Abdulsalam Muhammad, Dapo Akinrefon, Wahab Abdullah, Charles Kumolu & Gbenga Oke ABUJA — 14-year-old Ese Rita Oruru, the Delta State-born girl-child, resident in Bayelsa, who was abducted by Yunusa Dahiru, alias Yellow, but rescued by the Police in Kano, has been discovered to be about five months pregnant, very reliable sources have told Vanguard. Ese Rita Oruru, arrived Yenagoa yesterday and she  is presently quartered at the police officers mess Yenagoa. She came in company of her mother, Mrs Rose Oruru and securirity escorts who drove them quietly to the Offciers Mess. Yunusa Yellow and Ese Oruru This came as Dahiru Bala, the biological father of Yunusa, declared, yesterday, that his son never cohabited with Ese Oruru because of embedded contraption highly offensive to his religion. This is as some prominent Nigerians, including Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, former Lagos State Police Commissioner, Abubakar Tsav; Second Republic politician and lawyer, Guy Ikokwu and women NGOs, said the law should take its course on the matter and expressed anger over the teenager’s pregnancy. It was gathered that the white Hijab she wore on her arrival from Kano on Tuesday was used to cover the pregnancy, even though her physical condition and looks created suspicion. Vanguard was told that it was the condition the Police authorities discovered about Ese that informed the IGP, Solomon Arase’s directive that she should be handed over to the Gender and Child Protection Unit. A similar directive was given to a team from the Medical Department of the Force to carry out a comprehensive medical examination on the girl at the Police Medical Facility in Area 1, Garki, Abuja. Upon certifying her medical status and emotional state, Vanguard gathered that the Inspector-General of Police, feeling uncomfortable with the transport arrangement of the mother that they returned by road, cancelled the arrangement and directed that both Ese and her mother be flown to Yenagoa. Meanwhile, the IGP has directed the Bayelsa State Police Command to take over investigation of the case since, according to sources, the offence was committed in Bayelsa, which is the place of residence of the abductor, Yunusa Dahiru. Consequently, Vanguard was told that Yunusa would be moved to Yenagoa to face interrogation and prosecution for kidnapping and child abuse as well as violence against a girl-child. The Inspector-General of Police had earlier vowed that Yunusa and all other actors in the seven-month-old abduction saga would be brought to justice. He said it was the only way the nation would make a clear statement in unison that any individual who violated the sanctity of the rights of children shall be dealt with in accordance with extant laws of the country. The IGP spoke as Mrs. Rose Oruru, Ese’s mother, thanked all Nigerians, the Nigerian Police Force and well wishers, who assisted in one way or the other to ensure her daughter was brought back alive and safe, saying she could not say much for now. Speaking through the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olabisi Kolawole at Force Headquarters, shortly before Ese’s mother, Mrs Rose Oruru, was led to take custody of her daughter, the IGP said:  “Aside prosecution of the actors directly involved in this case, the Inspector General of Police has also ordered an in-house administrative inquiry designed to review the professional conduct of officers responsible for the initial investigation of this case.  Any officer indicted of professional dereliction will be firmly dealt with accordingly.” My son never cohabited with Ese — Yunusa’s father Meanwhile, Dahiru Bala, the biological father of Yunusa Yellow, declared yesterday that his son never cohabited with Ese Oruru because of embedded contraption highly offensive to his religion”. Yunusa’s Father Dahiru in an exclusive interview with Vanguard at his country home, Kauyen Tofa in Kura local government area of kano State, said:  “There was no marriage between my son and Ese Oruru due to contradiction and illegality involved. “The love relationship between my son and Ese was built on ignorance of their religious backgrounds which made it difficult for anyone to support their marriage proposal.” Dahiru Bala, 55, disclosed that traditional authorities were fully briefed about an impending illegality when his son, Yunusa, who he said was 25, informed him of his decision to elope with her lover. “I promptly reported the matter to the village head and on their arrival, they were taken to his home, who in turn reported to the District Head at Kura, headquarters of Kura local government area. “Yunusa was a house help to Oruru’s family for 10 years and when he told me of his love relationship with Ese, I opposed it because we already have a proposal for him in the village. “Sequel to the request of Ese, she was converted to Islam on the order of the District Head before he was taken to the Emir’s palace for his final say.” The farmer said that on arrival at the Emir’s palace, a senior counsellor who took the brief, summoned the Sharia Commission to take custody of Ese Oruru till the following day when the emir would be available. Shedding more light on the Yunusa/Ese Oruru love saga, Dahiru Bala disclosed that the emir, who subsequently met with them, ordered the Sharia commission to liaise with the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 1 to return her home with immediate effect. According to Yunusa’s father, “the much anticipated return of Ese Oruru to Bayelsa was truncated by her when she broke down in the AIG’s office and raised safety questions to her life back home. Subsequently, the move was halted to pave way for investigation”. The suspect’s father, who was surrounded by his village men during the encounter, said “the last we heard of Ese Oruru was that she was in custody of Sharia commission, who kept her in the home of the District Head at Kura.” She should be allowed to deliver the baby—Tsav Reacting to the development, retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav said:  “There is a difference between elopement and abduction. If the suspect is of age, he should be prosecuted. If I were in the position of the parents, I would allow her to deliver after which she should be allowed to make her choice.” Pregnancy unfortunate, inevitable —Joe Odumakin President of the Women Arise for Change Initiative and the Campaign for Democracy, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin said “it is the most unfortunate aspect of the Ese Oruru saga and it is inevitable. But the fact remains that there are more dangers than one can imagine for a 14 year old to become a mother in such a manner as this.” She, however, added that those found culpable of the act, no matter how highly placed, should be brought to book. She said: “There are no two ways about this, a crime has been committed by the man, Yunusa alias Yellow, who abducted the teenage girl all the way from Bayelsa State to Kano State for a forced marriage and conversion of religion. The Nigerian law does not recognise such illegality with an under-aged and nothing should be spared at ensuring that the main culprit and everyone involved, no matter how highly placed, are brought to book.” The law should take its course – Ikokwu Second Republic politician and lawyer, Chief Guy Ikokwu said: ‘’The law should take its course as the molestation and abuse of children and infants is rampant in our society. It should not take the intervention of a monarch, the IGP or the governor or president for police officers trained in crime prevention to do their normal work. Ese Oruru’s father has given glory to God  as what happened was not Christian or Islamic like the Chibok episode.Asked his opinion on Ese’s pregnancy and what the parents should do, he said: ‘’The pregnancy is a family matter. It is for the family to decide. The abduction is a criminal matter but the pregnancy is a family issue. Under the law, we cannot advice the girl to go and commit an abortion. The girl may die in the process. It is for the family to decide.’’ The issue is an embarrassment to Nigeria— Dr Junaid Mohammed “The issue of the elopement of Ese is an embarrassment to this nation and without mincing words, Yunusa shows irresponsibility and the law should take its course on him. Also, the Emir of Kano should be investigated by the police because the statement he gave is not enough to exonerate him in the whole issue. “As far as I am concerned, this issue has nothing to do with religion but a fundamental issue that must be tackled head on and I am calling on the Bayelsa State governor to look into the girl’s issue and help her out.” Funmi Falana, Executive Director, Women Empowerment and Legal Advocacy, WELA, said: “it is unfortunate that the young girl has become a victim of violence against girl child in the society. “Her situation or experience could be likened to a rape because she was not properly married and her consents were not sought, which is contrary to the law. “As it is now, the man should be arrested and prosecuted and not allowed to go scot free. The punishment is seven years jail sentence. “As to the predicament of the girl, she should not be allowed to bear that child and the accompanied pains because she is not biologically fit for it. If allowed to bear the pregnancy, she may have VVF. A case of a girl raped in Agege was handled by us, the girl was operated upon. “However, if she carried the pregancy eventually, she should be delivered through cessarian session. She should be adequately taken care of.” Another woman lawyer based in Benue, Mrs Patience Joseph, who is the coordinator of Nigeria Women Against Poverty, NWAP, said, “The issue is still strange to me. This is because, I can’t imagine how the little girl started fraternizing with the alleged abductor, under the nose of her parents to the extent she was ‘shipped’ out of Bayelsa. “However, this is not the issue on ground now. The only solution is for the state (government) to first determine the condition of the girl, the blood sample of the abductor, and make adequate medical findings to determine if he is responsible and also determine if she will be medically fit to carry the pregnancy. “After this, the issue has become a crime against the man, no matter what the circumstances in which he met the young girl. “In Islam under which guise he may hide for instance, it is condition precedent that the consent of the proposed lady must be sought and that of the parent before a valid marriage can be consummated alongside the payment of dowry. “In this situation none of these conditions are met apart from engaging the little girl in family way prematurely. So, he must be made to account for his deeds according to the law. “One cannot recommend the abortion of the foetus which is illegal, except on medical conditions, supported by proper directive from a qualified medical personnel.” Neighbours, relations and friends besiege Orurus’ Opolo residence Kidnapped girl Ese Oruru’s mother Rose Oruru looks on at the police headquarters in Abuja, on March 02, 2016. Police authorities have reunited kidnapped 14 years old Christian girl Ese Oruru with her mother at its headquarters in Abuja. Ese Oruru was abducted from her southern Bayelsa State home and taken to northern Nigerian town of Kura by her Muslim lover, Yunusa Dahiru, who forced her into marriage and converted her to Islam. / AFP

Meanwhile, neighbours, relations and friends of the Orurus including newsmen had besieged their Opolo residence awaiting the arrival their receive when news filtered in that they were at the Mess. A resident who pleaded anonymity said “we are waiting the mother and daughter to be sure that they are back.” At the police officers Mess, journalists were denied access to the girl by security operatives who claimed they were acting on instruction from above. But a police confided in Vanguard saying:  “there is a directive that the girl should be accommodated at the Mess for three days because of the trauma she has passed through.” As at the time of filing this report journalists were still keeping vigil at the mess.