Ese Oruru, the Delta State teenager, who was abducted in 2015 at
the age of 14 and impregnated by a man from Kano State, Yunusa
Dahiru, got judgement on Thursday at the Federal High Court sitting
in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The court presided over by Justice Jane Inyang convicted Yunusa,
alias Yellow and sentenced him to 26 years in prison for his
criminal actions against Oruru.
Ese’s misfortune which attracted global outrage occurred on
August 12, 2015 when Yunusa abducted her at the age of 14 from her
family house at Opolo area of Yenagoa and took her to his home
state, Kano, where he converted her to Islam.
The convict also forced her into marriage and impregnated
her.
The minor through the efforts of a civil society group, Kindling
Hope Across Nations Initiative (KHAN) led by Kizito Andah, who
launched free-Ese-Oruru campaign, was rescued by the police in
February 2016 and brought back to Yenagoa in early March.
She was delivered of a baby girl in May 2016 while Yunusa was
arraigned on March 8, 2016 at the Federal High Court on a five
count charge of criminal abduction, illicit intercourse, sexual
exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge read to him in pidgin
English, but on March 21, the first trial judge, Justice Aliya
Nganjiwa, granted him bail in the sum of N3m with two sureties in
like sum.
But Inyang in her ruling acquitted the accused on count one but
found him guilty on counts two, three, four and five.
She sentenced Dahiru to five years in prison on count two and
seven years each for counts three, four and five saying that the
sentences would run consecutively.
The judge held that the failure of the defence team to produce
one Abdullahi Zarafat was “fatal to the defence.”
The lawyer to the defendant, Kayode Olaosebikan, appealed to the
judge to temper justice with mercy and give liberal sentence to the
accused person.
Dahiru, who wore prison attire, broke down into tears after
emerging from the court.
Speaking after the judgement, Olaosebikan said that they were
not comfortable with the aspect of ruling that the sentence should
run consecutively.
He said: “Though I’m not comfortable with the part of the
judgment that said the sentence should run consecutively, we had
some challenges during the course of trial.
“There were six other witnesses we needed to have called in this
matter, two of them are resident here (in Bayelsa), four of them in
Kano, but none of them was available.”
Olaosebikan said that his client could appeal the judgment,
especially because part of it ruled that the sentence should run
consecutively.
In his reaction, the prosecution lawyer, Samuel Njoku, a Deputy
Superintendent of Police from the Force Headquarters, expressed
delight at the judgement describing it as “naked and simple
justice”.
A former Vice-Chairperson of International Federation of Women
Lawyers (FIDA) in Bayelsa State, Deme Debra Pamosoo, said the
judgment would serve as deterrent to other pedophiles.
She said: “The judgment has sent a strong message to serve as
deterrent to pedophiles of underaged children. The judiciary is
fair in the judgment given.”
The father of the victim, Charles Oruru, said he was exited that
the five-year case ended in their favour.
He said: “I’m very happy and grateful because I see that all my
suffering is not in vain. This case will serve as deterrent to
others who traffic people’s children. I thank God that truth has
prevailed. I and my family are very happy.”
Ese Oruru, the Delta State teenager, who was abducted in 2015 at
the age of 14 and impregnated by a man from Kano State, Yunusa
Dahiru, got judgement on Thursday at the Federal High Court sitting
in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The court presided over by Justice Jane Inyang convicted Yunusa,
alias Yellow and sentenced him to 26 years in prison for his
criminal actions against Oruru.
Ese’s misfortune which attracted global outrage occurred on
August 12, 2015 when Yunusa abducted her at the age of 14 from her
family house at Opolo area of Yenagoa and took her to his home
state, Kano, where he converted her to Islam.
The convict also forced her into marriage and impregnated
her.
The minor through the efforts of a civil society group, Kindling
Hope Across Nations Initiative (KHAN) led by Kizito Andah, who
launched free-Ese-Oruru campaign, was rescued by the police in
February 2016 and brought back to Yenagoa in early March.
She was delivered of a baby girl in May 2016 while Yunusa was
arraigned on March 8, 2016 at the Federal High Court on a five
count charge of criminal abduction, illicit intercourse, sexual
exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge read to him in pidgin
English, but on March 21, the first trial judge, Justice Aliya
Nganjiwa, granted him bail in the sum of N3m with two sureties in
like sum.
But Inyang in her ruling acquitted the accused on count one but
found him guilty on counts two, three, four and five.
She sentenced Dahiru to five years in prison on count two and
seven years each for counts three, four and five saying that the
sentences would run consecutively.
The judge held that the failure of the defence team to produce
one Abdullahi Zarafat was “fatal to the defence.”
The lawyer to the defendant, Kayode Olaosebikan, appealed to the
judge to temper justice with mercy and give liberal sentence to the
accused person.
Dahiru, who wore prison attire, broke down into tears after
emerging from the court.
Speaking after the judgement, Olaosebikan said that they were
not comfortable with the aspect of ruling that the sentence should
run consecutively.
He said: “Though I’m not comfortable with the part of the
judgment that said the sentence should run consecutively, we had
some challenges during the course of trial.
“There were six other witnesses we needed to have called in this
matter, two of them are resident here (in Bayelsa), four of them in
Kano, but none of them was available.”
Olaosebikan said that his client could appeal the judgment,
especially because part of it ruled that the sentence should run
consecutively.
In his reaction, the prosecution lawyer, Samuel Njoku, a Deputy
Superintendent of Police from the Force Headquarters, expressed
delight at the judgement describing it as “naked and simple
justice”.
A former Vice-Chairperson of International Federation of Women
Lawyers (FIDA) in Bayelsa State, Deme Debra Pamosoo, said the
judgment would serve as deterrent to other pedophiles.
She said: “The judgment has sent a strong message to serve as
deterrent to pedophiles of underaged children. The judiciary is
fair in the judgment given.”
The father of the victim, Charles Oruru, said he was exited that
the five-year case ended in their favour.
He said: “I’m very happy and grateful because I see that all my
suffering is not in vain. This case will serve as deterrent to
others who traffic people’s children. I thank God that truth has
prevailed. I and my family are very happy.”