Ese Oruru: Yunusa released from prison, leaves for Kano

Mr. Yunusa Dahiru, alias Yellow, the young man accused of abducting 14-year-old Ese Oruru, from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, finally left custody after spending over four months in Okaka Prisons in the state capital.

It was learnt Yunusa was immediately taken to his state, Kano, in company with a team of his defence lawyers who usually flew into the state during court proceedings.

It was further learnt that contrary to speculation that no Bayelsa indigene was willing to stand surety for the suspect due to the ethnic and religious sentiments being whipped up, the person who eventually fulfilled the court conditions was from Bayelsa.
Yunusa’s team of lawyers had been battling to free him from prison since March but without success.

The development followed the stringent bail conditions handed down to the suspect by Justice Ajiya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa.

Justice Nganjiwa had set a N3m bail bond and two sureties in like sum, resident within the jurisdiction of the court as conditions for Yunusa’s release.

He had also ordered that one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler, while the second person must be a civil servant on Grade Level 12 or above.

The bail conditions also stipulated that the two sureties must submit their three-year tax clearance receipts and that the defence counsel must sign an undertaking that the suspect must not jump bail.

But Justice Nganjiwa later relaxed the conditions after he was approached by Yunusa’s lawyers that they were unable to meet some of the bail conditions.

The court had reduced the bail conditions to a level nine civil servant and further granted the prayer of the defence lawyers to also allow any traditional ruler from any community in the country to stand as surety.

Recently, the court sessions to hear the case had been done in secret, after Justice Nganjiwa granted the prosecution team’s prayer that journalists and members of the public should not be allowed to witness Ese Oruru’s cross-examination.

But a source involved in the secret trial, when asked how Ese had been reacting on seeing Yunusa in the same chambers during sessions, said the minor had been very antagonistic.

Yunusa is currently facing a five-count charge of abduction, inducing by the use of deception and coercion, illicit intercourse, sexual exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge of the minor.

Lead counsel for the Dahiru, Mr Kayode Olaosebikan, confirmed the release of his client, noting that “his people have taken him away.”

He added that the cross-examination of the girl (Ese) would continue in the next adjourned date.

Oruru was recently delivered of a baby girl and is still in the protective custody of the Bayelsa State Police Command, which is responsible for her upkeep in collaboration with the state government.

Her cross-examination by Yunusa’s lawyers will continue on September 13, 2016.