By Desire Emmanuel
Ese Oruru, a young girl who was abducted from her mother’s shop in Bayelsa State in 2015 and taken to Kano State where she was given out in marriage and impregnated at the age of 13, has become a graduate, bagging a second class upper division from the University of Ilorin.
It will be recalled that Ese Oruru was converted to Islam in 2015 after she was abducted from her mother’s shop in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at the age of 13 and taken to Kano, where she was forcibly converted to Islam in the palace of the Emir of Kano and married off to her abductor, Yunusa Dahiru, also known as “Yellow”.
This incident sparked nationwide outrage and led to a coordinated effort by the Nigeria Police Force, Child Rights advocates, and women’s groups to secure her release.
However, after going through her traumatic experience and after she got freedom from her abductors, Ese decided to return to school to pursue her academic goals.
Ten years after her ordeal, she has now graduated from the University of Ilorin, having studied Educational Technology and bagging second class, upper division.
Her academic feat was announced by the former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, who added that her accomplishment was a testament of what a determined mind can accomplish.
She wrote: “I am super-joyful to honor and celebrate the academic achievement of Ese Oruru!
“Ese graduated 2nd Class Upper Division in Education Technology today at the University of Ilorin and now stands as a testament of what a determined mind can accomplis
“Above all, I thank God for Ese. The future holds so much greater promise for this young woman whose life has evolved into an extraordinary inspiration and role model for us all.”


