A thirteen year-old girl was abducted from Bayelsa State by a man named one Mr. Yinusa. Taken to Kano, forced to convert to Islam, and become his wife in August 2015.
Her poor parents traced her location to the palace of the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi where her abductor allegedly kept her in a forced child marriage.
This is a bizarre story that involves the intervention of the police, who appear helpless in recovering this 13-year-old child from her abductors. The mother and the police were attacked on two occasions at the palace of the Emir of Kano, who is also a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
From August till today, February 21, 2016, little Miss Ese Rita Oruru has not been seen by her parents. Her abductor has forced her into a child marriage in which she is raped by an adult male. Her parents, Charles and Rose Oruru are working with child right activists to get back their child and the police appear helpless in the matter.
Read the story of how Ese Oruru was abducted from her home in Bayelsa, forcefully separated from her parents, forced to convert from Christianity to Islam, and taken on a horrific journey of child marriage where she is raped by her abductor.
The story is told by KHAN Initiative, an advocacy group on Facebook. You may read it below Ese’s picture.
Under Nigerian law, a thirteen-year-old cannot consent to sex or marriage and even her parents cannot give her out in marriage. This is a story of abduction/kidnapping, forced faith conversion, child rape, and imprisonment. It is extremely disturbing that a respect monarch is involved in granting shelter to the man who committed these hideous crimes.
#FreeEseOruruNow #EseIsNotAisha
1. On 12 August, 2015, 13 year old Ms Ese Rita Oruru did not return home.
2. Efforts made by the parents to locate Ese led to one Mohammed (aka Daidi) who informed the mother that one Mr. Yinusa (alias Yellow) had taken the said Miss Ese Rita Oruru to Kano with an intention to convert her into Islam, recruit her into an Islamic fanatical Group and marry her.
3. Acting on the above information, Mrs. Rose Oruru approached one Dan Kano, who not only confirmed the story but also promised to take her to Kano to recover her daughter.
4. Notwithstanding the above promise made, the said Dan Kano rescinded on his promise and rather sent one Rabiu to accompany Mrs. Rose Oruru to Kano.
5. On the 14th of August, 2015 the journey to Kano was embarked on, arriving after midnight. The said Rabiu took Mrs. Rose Oruru to the chief of a village called Tufa in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State on the 15th of August, 2015.
6. After relaying the purpose of their visit, the said chief was furious with Rabiu for bringing Mrs. Rose Oruru to Kano and told them that the said Miss Ese Rita Oruru has been converted to Islam and renamed “Aisha”, married and that the child was no longer her child. He also informed them that Miss Ese Rita Oruru was in the custody of the Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi at the Palace.
7. Moving forward, Mrs. Rose Oruru in the company of Rabiu approached the Emir of Kano’s Palace but met a stiff opposition by several youth, they were pushed out of the Palace.
8. The said Yinusa, through phone calls, informed Mrs. Rose Oruru that he did not kidnap her daughter as he took permission from Dan Kano before he abducted her.
9. Sensing the impossibility of seeing her daughter or having an audience with the Emir of Kano, Mrs. Rose Oruru broke into tears and drew a lot of attention, on hearing her cries an elderly man called the Police.
10. When the Police arrived they picked Mrs. Rose Oruru to Kwani Police station where her statement was taken and Police officers accompanied her first to the Emir’s Palace but they were prevented from entering the Palace. The Police then proceeded to the house of the Galadima of Kano, who stated that he does not know anything about the matter. The team proceeded to see the Adviser to the Emir, who told them that he does not want to be involved in the matter and then to the Secretary to the Emir of Kano. The Secretary informed them that:
a. The Chief of Tufa Village got an approval from Kura Police station to take the said Miss Ese Rita Oruru to the Emir’s Palace.
b. That the said Miss Ese Rita Oruru is now a convert of Islam and if brought to her mother, Mrs. Rose Oruru would not be able to talk or touch her, otherwise either she (the mother) or Ese would die. He advised that they wait till Monday the 17th of August 2015 to see the Emir.
11. On the 17th of August 2015, the DCO, a Police Inspector from Kwani Police Station, the Chief of Tufa village and Mrs Rose Oruru were at the Palace where the Emir of Kano sat in council. The said Miss Ese Rita Oruru was also seen brought in a Black Jeep with two Police Escort, Yinusa was also present. When the case was mentioned, every other person was allowed inside except Mrs. Rose Oruru, returning from the Emir’s court the DCO informed Mrs. Rose that the Emir of Kano told them to go to the Sharia Court, which they objected to.
12. The Police at Kwani transferred the matter to State CID in Kano State, where she was asked to go back to Bayelsa and report the matter to the Bayelsa State Police Command.
13. Mrs Rose Oruru returned to Bayelsa on the 17th of August 2015 and a report was made at the Ekeki Police Station and the matter was later transferred to State CID Yenagoa.
14. The Police at Yenagoa made some arrest including Dan Kano, and a trip was embarked upon to Kano on the 2nd of September, 2015 with the following persons: Dan Kano, K.C. Dahiru (the chairman of the Hausa community in Yenagoa), Mr. Charles Oruru and Two Police Officer from State CID.
15. The team reported at the Kwani Police Station in Kano where another visit was made to the Emir of Kano, the Emir informed them that he had since on the 26th of August 2015 sent a letter for the release of the said Miss Ese Rita Oruru to her parent. Another letter was also written but was not responded to.
16. Notwithstanding the above efforts made the said Miss Ese Rita Oruru has since not been released to her parent but is still held hostage at Kano State.
#FreeEseOruruNow #EseIsNotAisha #EseOruru’s mother, Rose Oruru, speaking to the press yesterday 16/2/16, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State
Posted by Khan Initiative on Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Child Protection Network (CPN) Nigeria efforts so far.
17. After receiving the above case, the Child Protection Network immediately swung into action by formally informing the Director Department of Security Service and several meeting were held in December 2015 with officers of the Department of Security Service. The Department of Security Service made several promises to secure the release of the said Miss Ese Rita Oruru, but until date, Miss Ese Rita Oruru is still held hostage by these perpetrators.
18. During the Bayelsa state election, the Coordinator of Child Protection Network spoke with the Inspector General of Police and he gave his word that the girl will be returned back to her parents, but his words has come to nothing.
19. On the 11th of February, 2016 we also held a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa state police command on the above subject matter and our grievance on the attitude of some of the Police Officers who had earlier worked on the case and their failure to secure the release of Miss Ese Rita Oruru was duly communicated.
20. We strongly believe that the said Miss Ese Rita Oruru has not only been hypnotized but also recruited as a tool in the hand of an Islamic Fanatical group in Kano State. Miss Ese Rita Oruru is only 13 year old and cannot give informed consent to marriage and is still held hostage. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Oruru are petty traders who are putting all efforts to meet the needs of their children.
21. Securing the return of Miss Ese Rita Oruru would be not only make history of our strong desire to continually protect our children, but also re-emphasis and stamp our indelible position against the acts of these culprits. We therefore call for all to join our voices to prevail on the Kano State Government, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to URGENTLY RELEASE MISS ESE RITA ORURU AND DEMAND FOR THE PROSECUTION OF HER ABDUCTORS UNDER THE APPROPRIATE LAW AND JURISDICTION as it is of urgent National Security and Public Interest.
