Senator Ben Bruce (PDP – Bayelsa East) has contacted the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, over the case of 14-year-old Ese Oruru, who was allegedly abducted in Bayelsa and taken to Kano by a man identified simply as Yunusa.
It was learnt that Yunusa, a long-time customer of the abducted girl’s mother, Rose Oruru, a food vendor, took the girl to Kano in August 2015 and has since married her, having first converted her to Islam.
The girl’s parents have since made several trips to Kano to get their daughter back, all to no avail, fuelling insinuations that the alleged abductor must be having the backing of powerful persons in the Kano Emirate Council.
Ever since the news broke, many Nigerians, especially those on social media, have expressed outrage at the way authorities seem to be foot-dragging on the matter, warning that it could escalate into inter-ethnic clashes if not quickly resolved.
But in a Twitter post, Sen. Bruce said, contrary to a widely-held belief, that the Emir could not have known and supported the devious act of Yunusa.
According to Bruce, the Emir supported his claim of innocence in the matter with documentary evidence.
Bruce tweeted:
1-After investigation, Emir Sanusi ruled it was wrong for a Ese to consent to marriage as a minor and that she return to her family #FreeEse
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 29, 2016
Here's the District Head's letter to Emir Sanusi (in Hausa) after which he ruled that Ese be returned to her family. pic.twitter.com/lVp8P6t02K
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 29, 2016
Bruce equally disagreed with Sunday’s assertion by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, that the Emir’s trip to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj was hampering the police’s investigation into the matter and retrieval of the girl.
“The Emir decided that he was going to mediate. But, because of his trip to Mecca with the President; that was what caused the delay. But now that he is back, we are going to sort it out as quickly as possible,” Arase was quoted as saying by The Punch.
Asked to give a timeline on when the abducted girl will be released, the IGP said: “Well, that is dependent on the intervention of the emir. We have agreed to resolve the matter. I cannot give a timeline.”
The senator took exception to the IG’s assertion, saying that…
2-So for the IGP to say that Ese's release is "dependent" holds no water. There are no legal or constitutional grounds for that #FreeEse
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 29, 2016
We only hope that Ese is returned to her parents are soon as possible… Check back for more updates
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