Update: Abducted 14-yr-old Girl From Bayelsa Released To Police Ig, Arase

BEVERLY HILLS, February 29, (THEWILL) – Ese Oruru, the 14-year old girl abducted from her mother's shop located in Opolo, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and taken to Kano, northern Nigeria by one Yinusa (18), who eventually married her under Islamic laws has been released into the custody of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, for onward return to her family, sources familiar with the development said Monday.

Ese was abducted in August 2015 by Yinusa, a commercial motorcycle operator, who took her to Kano for marriage on the premise that she had converted to Islam. Yinusa, who was reportedly very well known to Ese's mother, sold off all his belongings before eloping with the girl.

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Since her abduction, the family had made several unsuccessful trips with policemen to Kano to secure her release and return to Bayelsa but had been frustrated by the Islamic community in Kano, prompting an outrage by several rights groups, who asked Mr. Arase and the Emir of Kano, Mohammed Sanusi to intervene.

Meanwhile, THEWILL understands that Ese had refused to return to Bayelsa but has been ordered by the Emir of Kano to be united with her family. The teenager is also believed to have changed her name to reflect her new Islamic faith.

A Niger Delta region group, Urhobo Monitoring and Development Group (UMDG), on Monday threatened to evict all Northerners residing in the region if, within two weeks, the Kano State Government, the Emir of Kano and the Federal Government fails to secure Ese's release.

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