Ese speaks: I am not fine

The mother of 14-year-old Ese Oruru has finally reunited with her daughter in Abuja.

The Tuesday reunion came almost eight months after her abduction from Bayelsa to Kano State by Yunusa, aka Yellow, a regular customer at her mother’s food stall, in August last year.

In an exclusive, but brief chat with our correspondent at about 9.45pm, Ese sounded happy on the telephone.

She said, “Hello,” and laughed when our correspondent spoke to her.

“How are you?” Our correspondent asked. She laughed and replied ‘Fine.”

“We are glad you are safe and on your way back home.”

“Who is this,” she asked.

“How was your journey?”

“We have not started the journey, maybe tomorrow,” she said, probably referring to the onward trip to Bayelsa.

“Hope they treated you well and you are fine?”

“I am not fine,” she said curtly.

“Why?”

She replied, “When I come we should see. I don’t know you.”

“I will be looking forward to meeting you,” our correspondent replied.

Govs, reps call for Yunusa, accomplices’ trial

THE governors of Kano and Delta states, as well as members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday demanded the immediate prosecution of the abductor of 14-year-old Ese Oruru, Yunusa, aka Yellow, who also forced her into marriage and conversion to Islam.

The minor had on Monday been rescued from Kano State, where she had been taken to by her paedophile captor, Yunusa, barely 24 hours after The PUNCH newspapers inaugurated a campaign to free Ese.

Ese, who hails from Delta State, was abducted from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on August 12, 2015.

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganguje, on Tuesday condemned the alleged abduction, adding nobody brought the matter to his attention, noting that he only got to know through the media.

This was contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Mallam Mohammed Garba.

The state demanded the prosecution of Yunusa and others involved in the scandal.

The statement read in part, “The government condemns the actions of the alleged abductor, as it is against the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and teachings of Islam which abhor abduction, forced marriage even with the consent of parents of a girl, be her a minor or adult, and forced conversion to Islam, as the Quran categorically states that ‘there is no compulsion in religion’.

“Security and other relevant agencies should expedite action to bring the suspect(s) to book according to the law.”

The Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, expressed shock at the abduction given the age of the girl and the lack of consent by her parents.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, Okowa said he was saddened by the ordeal of the minor.

“I am very much interested in this case, not only because the girl is an indigene of Delta State, but for the rule of law. I want the police to pursue it to its logical conclusion. Nothing short                                                                                                                                             of diligent prosecution of the abductors will be satisfactory,” he stated.

The governor, who expressed disappointment at the length of time it took to unravel the incident, urged members of the public to always speak up whenever they were victims of undesirable social vices and pledged that the state was taking steps to reach out to the parents for necessary intervention.

The House of Representatives members in Abuja on Tuesday also asked the Federal Government to bring the “full weight of the law” on Yunusa and other persons involved in the abduction to serve as a deterrent to others who might be planning such acts in the future.

The lawmakers said rescuing her was not a compensation for the fact that a crime had been committed and her fundamental human rights already violated.

The House Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, said the government must respond to the issue “more forcefully” by ensuring that Yunusa and