THE road to freedom for the abducted 14-year-old Ese Rita Oruru began yesterday. It is believed that she will be reunited with her parents today, six months after her forceful abduction from Bayelsa State to Kano State.
Against her parents’ consent and blessings, Ese betrothed to her abductor, Yinusa, 18, who renamed her Aisha Chuwas.
The police in Kano yesterday confirmed taking custody of Ese.
Free Ese rally shelved
in Bayelsa
It was scheduled to be the mother of all rallies. But, it never held. Organisers of the rally planned for yesterday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, to protest the plight of the kidnapped 14-year-old Ese Oruru cancelled it at the eleventh hour.
Governor Seriake Dickson pleaded with the campaigners to shelve the protest, which he noted could trigger tribal clashes.
A report on Ese’s ordeal was published by The Punch newspapers on Sunday.
There was a consensus yesterday from notable individuals and rights’ groups for the release of the girl. Among those who called for the immediate and unconditional release of Ese are: Women Affairs Minister Jumai Alhassan, lawyer-activist Femi Falana, Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio, senators Ben Murray-Ben Bruce and Solomon Adeola among others.
In Yenagoa, a civil society group – Kindling Hope Across Nations Initiative (KHANI), shelved its protest following Dickson’s intervention to stave off a possible clash of Bayelsans and the Hausa community in the state.
KHANI’s Executive Director Kizito Andah said Dickson presented his concerns at a meeting with representatives of the group on Sunday, adding that the governor offered to wade into the matter.
According to him, Dickson, at the Sunday meeting, called his Kano State counterpart, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, on telephone over the issue.
He said Dickson told them after the conversation that he had a fruitful discussion with Ganduje and that he assured them that with collaborative efforts of both state governments, Ese would be released “very soon”.
Dickson’s media aide Daniel Iworiso-Markson confirmed the conversation between his boss and Ganduje, pointing out the Bayelsa State helmsman got full assurances of his Kano colleague that the issue would be resolved as quickly as possible.
An ultimatum
from Ese’s kinsmen
In Uwherun, the Oruru’s country home in Ugheli North Local Government Area of Delta State, the Urhobo Monitoring and Development Group (UMDG) condemned Ese’s abduction and gave a two-week ultimatum for her release.
The group flayed the manner the teenager was forcefully converted into Islam, renamed Aisha and betrothed to Yinusa.
A statement yesterday by its President, Mr. Kingsley Oberuruaria, said the abduction and subsequent marrying of the teenager to the suspect was criminal and barbaric and must be condemned in its entirety.
It reads: “The victim was 13 when she was abducted last year.”
No ethno-religion
undertone
Senators Murray-Bruce, Akpabio and Solomon were among the numerous Nigerians, who took to their twitter handles yesterday to call for Ese’s release.
The senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District cautioned against reading ethnic meaning to Ese’s abduction.
He wrote: “The action of an individual is not the action of an ethnicity or a religion. Let us be guided in our utterances over. Our anger should be directed at the abductor and any negligence on the part of the police and not on a tribe or religion.
“However, I will not relent until Ese is freed and released back to her parents. Your statement that Ese’s release is “dependent” on persons is sad. Her release is guaranteed by the constitution.
“IGP Arase, Ese is a minor and can’t consent to marry. The constitution is clear. Your duty is to ensure her release to her parents. The IGP is in a pole position to show that there are no sacred cows in Nigeria and everyone is equal before the law.
“Many of you have not spoken to Emir Sanusi over this matter. I have and I am convinced that he is not behind it in any way. After investigation, Emir Sanusi ruled it was wrong for Ese to consent to marriage as a minor and that she return to her family.
“I just got off the phone with the Emir of Kano. He has exonerated himself and has provided documental evidence to this effect on Ese’s case.”
Akpabio urged the police to act fast.
“The police should act fast on Free Ese. They don’t need to wait for anyone to do the right thing. Just free Ese now,” the Senate Minority Leader wrote.
Adeola, who is representing Lagos West at the upper legislative chamber said no stone should be left unturned to do things right.
He wrote: “For those arguing for and against, imagine for a second Ese was your daughter…. This is not about winning arguments. As a Senator of the Federal Republic, I will do all that is within my power to right this wrong.”
Mr. Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said Ese’s abduction and forced marriage amount to a breach of Bayelsa’s criminal code.
The lawyer-activist said in a statement: “The abduction, enslavement and forced marriage of Ese Oruru constitute serious contraventions of several provisions of the laws of the land.
“Equally, they are brutal violations of the fundamental rights of the victim to the dignity of her person guaranteed by the Child’s Rights Law of Bayelsa State and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It is a shame that the Kano state police command has not deemed it fit to free the girl and arrest the suspects involved in the barbaric conduct.
“Meanwhile, I have contacted and requested the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase to ensure the immediate release of the girl.
“If the authorities fail or refuse to free her today my law office will approach the court tomorrow with a view to seeking redress for her.”
Read More >>>
No comments:
Post a Comment