YUNUSA Dahiru popularly known as Yunusa Yellow has regained his freedom Saturday after serving his six-year jail term for child trafficking and sexual exploitation of Ese Oruru, News Point Nigeria reports.
Recall a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, had sentenced Yellow to 26 years imprisonment for the offence.
Delivering the judgement in the case in 2016, Justice Jane Inyang, held that Dahiru was not guilty of count one which bothered on abduction.
The judge, however, found him guilty of child trafficking, illicit sex, sexual exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge.
He was jailed five years in count two (Child trafficking), seven years in count three (illicit sex), seven years in count four (Sexual exploitation) and seven years in count five (Unlawful carnal knowledge).
After an appeal, the Appellate Court reduced the sentence to six years.
A source close to Yellow’s family told News Point Nigeria that, the young man is currently on his way to Kano to reunite with his family and friends.
The case of Dahiru and Ese generated a lot of reactions in 2015 when it was first reported.
Ese was reportedly abducted by Dahiru in Bayelsa in 2015, taken to Kano State where she was allegedly forcefully married and impregnated by Dahiru.
Ese, the daughter of Mr Charles and Rose Oruru, who hail from Uwheru community in Ughelli, Delta State, was allegedly married off to Dahiru without her parents’ consent and subsequently impregnated.
While in Kano, Ese, who was 13 years old at the time, was reportedly converted to Islam and renamed Aisha.
Ese was later rescued by the police in Kano with a five-month-old pregnancy, allegedly belonging to Dahiru.
Yunusa was arrested and arraigned at the Federal High Court, Yenagoa in 2016 in the suit number FHC/YNG/17c/2016 on a five-count charge of criminal abduction, illicit sex, sexual exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor.
Part of the charges against Yunusa read: “That you, Yunusa Dahiru, a male, resident in Opolo-Eipie area of Yenagoa in Bayelsa State, conspired with the duo of Dankano Mohammed and Mallam Alhassan, between August, 2015 and February, 2016, to commit an offence of abduction and thereby committed offence punishable under section 27(a) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.”
Reacting over the judgment, counsel to the Oruru family and immediate past Vice-Chairman of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Bayelsa State, Barr. Deme Pamosoo described the court decision as “Just judgment” and commended the judiciary for “doing its best to do justice to the matter”, noting that it will serve as a deterrent to others.
However, Yunusa’s defence counsel, Mr. Kayode Olaosebikan, expressed dissatisfaction over the ruling, saying if permitted by his client, he would lodge an appeal.
And they did and got a reduced sentence of six years, which ended today, Saturday.