How SUNDAY PUNCH campaign led to Ese Oruru’s rescue



ARUKAINO UMUKORO writes about his experience covering Ese Oruru’s abduction and eventual release
SUNDAY PUNCH’s explosive cover story on February 28, 2016, titled, “PUNCH launches ‘Free Ese’ campaign: Kano man steals, forcefully marries 14-year-old Bayelsa Girl,” sparked national outrage, and forced the authorities, including the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to release Ese Oruru immediately.

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Seriake Dickson, also waded into the matter as soon as the story hit the newsstands.
The next day, Monday, the Nigerian media – traditional and online – boiled over with righteous indignation at what many felt was injustice done to a teenager and her family.
Aside from the report, SUNDAY PUNCH’s #FreeEse campaign went viral online and on social media. In 24 hours, it ensured that Ese was released to the Kano State Police command on Monday, February 29, for onward transfer to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
On her release, PUNCH launched another hashtag, #JusticeForEse, which continued trending that week. PUNCH gave Ese’s story the most coverage daily in its print and online version throughout the week leading to her abductor, Yunusa Dahiru’s prosecution.
Early Tuesday morning, on March 1, Ese’s mum, Rose, at about 7am said, “I am exploding with happiness,” she told me in Pidgin English, after she was informed about her daughter’s release by a police officer in Bayelsa at about 6am. Ese’s father, Mr. Charles Oruru, had already gone to the police station to get further information.
Later that morning, I arrived Port Harcourt, Rivers State, en route to Bayelsa. I stayed in touch with Ese’s mum on the telephone throughout her road trip to Abuja, in company with officers from the Bayelsa State Police command.
On my arrival to Yenagoa, I met a warm welcome from the Oruru family at their modest residence in Opolo area. They spoke of their anxiety and hopes in the last seven months since Ese was abducted in April.
By Tuesday night, their hopes saw the light of day. Ese’s mum was finally reunited with her long lost daughter.
Ese was already pregnant for Yunusa, her abductor.
A few minutes earlier, the eldest of the Oruru children, Pat, had called me excitedly to tell me she had finally spoken to her sister. Ese’s siblings were overjoyed.
That night, I also spoke with Ese for the first time. I was as excited and joyful about her release as her siblings. It was a joy that resonated across ethnicities, religions, and regions in Nigeria when the news broke in the media.
On Wednesday evening, March 2, under heavy police security, Ese and her mum were driven to Yenagoa straight from their arrival at the Port Harcourt airport.
Following her reunion with her mother in Abuja on Tuesday, Ese was reunited with her father the next day on their arrival at the Police Officers Mess in Yenagoa.
“When I finally saw her, she greeted me and I hugged her. Finally, I see my daughter! That meant everything to me, thank you!” he exclaimed happily to me.
Later that Wednesday night, Ese’s older sisters – Pat and Faith — got their chance of seeing her. It was a joyous reunion.
Throughout the night, the Orurus residence in Opolo area, Yenagoa, was full of activities. At the mother’s shop, family members prepared banga soup and starch and other local dishes to herald her arrival. When the parents returned from the Officers Mess, family members, neighbours and well-wishers welcomed them with joyous singing, dancing and merriment, which lasted until the wee hours of Thursday morning.
Lucky the youngest, said he had never seen his mother so happy since Ese was abducted seven months ago.
The next day, Thursday, Ese’s brothers — Onome and Lucky — got to see her too for the first time. Lucky was the most excited.
Onome said he was relieved and happy to see his immediate younger sister again. “I did not want to ask her too many questions about the issue, I was just so happy to see her,” he said, misty eyed.
The Orurus’ joy over seeing their long lost sibling obviously knew no bounds. Ese was also very happy to see her family again.
Same Thursday, Ese and the Orurus met with Bayelsa State governor at the State Government House, journalists were literally bundled into the press room and shielded from getting a close up view of the teenager and her parents.
Later, after the private meeting, standing beside Ese’s parents— who looked exhausted that hot afternoon, the governor pledged the state government’s support for the Orurus and said the government was ready to “support and stand by Ese, now, and in the days, months and years to come.”
On a few occasions, I went with Ese’s parents and siblings to the Police Officers Mess in Yenagoa, but I was refused entry. Even the Orurus were screened by the police officer at the gate. He had a list that contained the parents’ names and that of their four children (aside from Ese). “Sorry, only her immediate family are allowed to see her,” one of the officers politely apologised to me.
Later on Friday, after my umpteenth visit to the Orurus’ residence in Opolo, one of the members of the Hausa community asked me, with a tinge of genuine sadness and guilt, if Ese had arrived yet.
At some points, prior to her release, I became the link between both parents and siblings when they needed more information about her homecoming to Bayelsa or the mum’s whereabouts.
A week later, on Tuesday, March 8, Yunusa Dahiru, aka Yellow, was arraigned at the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on five counts bordering on abduction, coercion, seduction into illicit sex, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation of a minor.
At Ese’s home church, Distinguished People’s Assembly, on Sunday, March 6, her Sunday School teacher and friends spoke of their joy on hearing about her release and Yunusa’s prosecution. They said they had missed her and were looking forward to seeing her again.
The message of the pastor, Bishop Dotimi Egbegi, hinged on faith and the infallibility of God’s word to His children. “This is your week of covenant manifestations,” he preached.
The wife of the pastor, had described the teenager as a ‘destiny child.’
Last Thursday, a delegation from the Delta State government arrived Bayelsa to pay Ese and her family a visit. They, like the Bayelsa State government, promised to support the teenager and her family.
Her father said, the pregnancy nothwithstanding, he hopes his daughter becomes one of the most important women in the world.
Last week, Ese’s siblings moved the belongings left at their mother’s shop, including the small television set and chairs, to their Opolo residence.
It literally marked the end to an eerie chapter that had defined their lives, as Yunusa, Ese’s abductor, was a regular customer at her mother’s food stall.
Despite the pregnancy and other issues that may crop up in the coming weeks and months, it has also opened the promise of a new beginning for Ese, her parents and siblings.

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