We’ll believe Ese is free when we see her – Parents

The parents of Ese Oruru have said that they will only believe she is free when they see her.

In an interview with our correspondent, the parents said they were skeptical about the news of her release because of the experience they have had over time while trying to get their daughter back.

Ese’s father, Charles, said despite being informed by the Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa that his daughter had been freed, he would wait until he meets her before celebrating.

Also, Ese’s mother, Rose, held the same view.“I won’t believe anything until I see my daughter, Ese, in person,” he said.

She said, “We have been hearing different rumours, but I won’t believe any of them until I see my daughter. When we went to Kano, the Emir said something about her being released to us, so why should I believe them this time?

But I will be happy to see my daughter back home with me and safe.

The Police Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, had told one of our correspondents on Monday that Ese would be united with her parents in Abuja today.

“She will be brought to Abuja tomorrow (Tuesday) along with her parents,” Kolawole, who noted that she was with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 1, Kano, had said.

The Orurus have also insisted that Ese is not 18 years old, but 14.

“We do not have an official birth certificate because Ese was born in a nursing home on February 22, 2002, in Opolo, Bayelsa State. We did not have money to go to a regular hospital,” Ese’s mother told our correspondent on the telephone.

“Ese’s immediate elder sibling, Onome, a boy, was born in November 23, 1999. I always write the date of birth of all my children down.”

Rose said she had, on the advice of a non-governmental organisation, gone ahead to swear an affidavit to authenticate Ese’s age.

In the same vein, Ese’s father, Charles, said his daughter was 14 years old.

Ese had been abducted in August 2015 by one Yinusa, aka Yellow, who was a longstanding customer of her mother, Mrs. Rose Oruru, a food vendor in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

Yinusa took Ese, who was 13 years old at the time, to Kano where she was allegedly converted to Islam and forcefully married.

Subsequent efforts by her parents to get her released, including a visit to the Emir of Kano’s palace, had met a brick wall until PUNCH launched the “Free Ese” campaign.

The Orurus also expressed gratitude to PUNCH for the campaign to get their daughter released.

“Without PUNCH and the NGO, many Nigerians won’t have known what is happening.

“I thank them a million times and all Nigerians for their prayers and support. I pray that what happened to my daughter will not happen to any of their children,” she said.