A rally organised on Monday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, to protest the plight of the kidnapped Ese Oruru has been put on hold.
It was gathered that the intervention of the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, compelled the campaigners to suspend the rally.
Ese, was kidnapped by one Yinusa, alias Yellow, about six months ago, taken to Kano, converted to Islam and forcefully given out in marriage without her parents’ consent.
A civil society group, Kindling Hope Across Nations Initiative (KHANI), which organised the protest shelved it after Dickson reportedly expressed concerns that the rally could snowball into a tribal clash between Bayelsans and the Hausa community in the state.
The Executive Director, KHAN, Mr. Kizito Andah, said Dickson presented his concerns when he held a meeting with officials of the NGO on Sunday.
He said the governor requested he should be allowed to intervene on the matter.
He said Dickson in their presence called the Governor of Kano State, Mr. Abdullahi Ganduje, on telephone over the issue.
He said Dickson reported that he had a fruitful discussion with Ganduje and assured them that with collaborative efforts between the two state governments, Ese would be released “very soon”.
Andah said the governor expressed shock at the way and manner the minor was taken away from the state.
Andah said: “In view of the personal interest demonstrated by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, we have decided to suspend the rally to give both state governments time to urgently bring Ese back.
“We will however continue the fight to return Ese back to her parents and seek justice for her.”
When contacted, Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, confirmed that the governments of Bayelsa and Kano were discussing to ensure quick resolution of the matter.
He said Dickson received full assurances of Kano governor that the issue would be resolved in no distant time and that the girl would return.
Iworiso-Markson said: “There is government to government relationship over the matter. The two governments are talking to see to the quick resolution of the matter.
“There is no need to panic. We are on top of the matter. We are talking with the parents of the girl, the security and the relevant stakeholders. Soon, the media will be given report on the final resolution of the matter.”
Also, the Urhobo Monitoring and Development Group (UMDG) condemned Ese’s abduction and the manner the teenager was forcefully converted into Islam, renamed Aisha and betrothed to Yinusa as her husband.
The group in a statement on Monday by its President, Mr. Kingsley Oberuruaria, said the abduction and subsequent marrying of the teenager to the suspect was criminal and barbaric and must be condemned in its entirety.
He said: “The victim was 13 when she was abducted last year. Only recently, a group of Fulani herdsmen kidnapped and killed the traditional ruler of Ubulu-Uku in Delta State and the trend suggests that the Nigerian state is gradually returning to the medieval era and it must not be allowed to continue.
“We are also not aware of the allegations that Yinusa kinsmen including the respected Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, are complicit in the abduction and forceful conversion of our daughter to Islam as the parents alleged that their daughter is within the Emir’s palace.
“The Kano Command of the Nigeria Police is also conniving with the culprits to detain the girl against her basic fundamental human rights as contained in the Nigerian constitution.
“We are giving the Kano State government, the Emir of Kano and the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to produce Ese Oruru and set her free unconditionally or we will evict their people (northerners) from our land (Niger Delta).
“At the expiration of this ultimatum if our demand is not meant, we will have no option than to forcefully evict all northerners in our domain.”
