Yunusa Dahiru, the young man accused of abducting and impregnating 14-year-old Ese Oruru, who is based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State with her parents, left the prison custody over the weekend after spending over four months in Okaka Prisons in the state capital.
According to reports, Dahiru has since been taken to Kano State, his home town, in the company of his defence lawyers.
Dahiru’s team of lawyers since March 2016 had battled to free their client from prison, but without success, this is because of the stringent bail conditions given by Justice Ajiya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa.
Justice Nganjiwa had set a N3 million bail bond and two sureties in like sum, resident within the jurisdiction of the court as conditions for Dahiru’s release.
He also ordered that one of the sureties must be a traditional title holder, 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 accused would not jump bail.
However, the judge later relaxed the conditions after he was approached by Dahiru’s lawyers that they could not meet some of the requirements.
The court reduced the bail conditions to a Level Nine civil servant and further granted the prayer of the defendant to also allow any traditional ruler from any community in the country to stand as surety.
Many of the court sessions to hear the case were recently conducted in camera, after the judge granted the prosecution team’s prayer that Miss Oruru should be cross-examined away from the glare of journalists and members of the public.
Accoding to a source, when asked how Miss Oruru had reacted to seeing Dahiru in the chamber during the private sessions, it was said that “she was very antagonistic”.
Dahiru is currently facing a five-count charge of abducting, inducing by the use of deception and coercion, illicit intercourse, sexual exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor.
Mr. Kayode Olaosebikan, the lawyer to the accused, confirmed the release of his client, stating: “His people have taken him away.”
He added that the cross-examination of the young woman would continue at the next adjourned date.
Miss Oruru recently gave birth to a baby girl and is still in the protective custody of the Bayelsa State Police Command, which has taken responsibility for her upkeep in collaboration with the state government.
Her cross-examination by Dahiru’s lawyers is expected to continue on September 13.
Also, Red Cap Revolution, a political foundation believed to be owned by Sen Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso helped to meet Yunusa’s bail conditions, the group shared the message below on its Facebook page.
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