By Ovie Okpare
Charles Oruru, the father of Ese Oruru, the then 13-year-old girl abducted and taken to Kano where she was allegedly raped, forcibly islamised and married off without her parents’ approval, has expressed satisfaction with Thursday’s ruling of the Federal High Court in Bayelsa State which sentenced Yunusa Dahiru alias Yellow to 26 years imprisonment.
The Federal High Court in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, on Thursday slammed 26 years jail terms on Yunusa for child trafficking, illicit sex, sexual exploitation and unwanted carnal knowledge of Ese Oruru who later became pregnant and had since been delivered of a baby.
Justice Jane Inyang who gave the ruling, however, exonerated the convict from one of the count charge accusing Yunusa, a former tricycle rider in Bayelsa State, of forceful abduction of the now 18-year-old Ese Oruru.
The court in her ruling said Yunusa will serve the sentences consecutively unless the ruling was upturned by a high court.
ALSO READ: Ese Oruru: Court Sentences Yunusa To 26yrs Imprisonment
Yunusa reportedly abducted Ese in 2015 from her home in Bayelsa to Kano State where he forcefully married and impregnated her the teenage girl.
However, reacting to the court ruling, Ese’s father, Charles Oruru told NIGER DELTA TODAY Online exclusively that his family was happy that justice finally came their way for the maltreatment of his daughter and emotional agony his family went through.
Charles said his family is in moment of joy and thanked Nigerians especially civil society groups and the governments of Bayelsa and Delta States for the support for the family.
According to him, “We are very happy that the culprit has been brought to justice. We are very happy today. I and my family are very happy with the court ruling. I have been hoping for justice to happen and today (Thursday) it has happened.
“I am grateful to all Nigerians who supported us all through this period. We thank the Nigerian people and all the NGOs who stood firmly with us. I commend the governments of Bayelsa and Delta State for ensuring that justice was served.”
