Kano State Government has noted with concern the news of the alleged<\/p>\n
abduction, forced marriage and conversion to Islam of 14-year old Ese
\nOruru of Opolo, Yenogoa, Bayelsa State, in August last year by one Yunusa,
\nwho is said to be an indigene of Kano State.<\/p>\n
According to a statement by Malam Muhammad Garba, Commissioner for
\nInformation, Youth, Sports and Culture Kano State today, the government
\nsaid that more worrying and disturbing is the inappropriate handling of
\nthe issue by the authorities concerned, including the police and the
\nDepartment of State Services. Government particularly mentioned the
\ndirective and request by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, that the
\ngirl be taken back to Yenogoa and handed over to her parents immediately,
\nsince that fateful August when the matter was brought to his attention.<\/p>\n
In view of the gravity of the allegation, the need to protect the rights
\nof minors on matters of faith and marriage as well as promote unity and
\npeaceful coexistence among all Nigerians particularly in the face of
\nincorrect, misleading and grossly skewed misrepresentation of the issue
\nand the comments it generated in the mainstream and social media, the
\ngovernment of Kano State, for the purpose of setting the record straight,
\ndeclares that:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe issue was handled with dispatch competently, courageously and with
\nall sense of concern by His Highness, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi
\nII, since August last year when the case was brought to his attention by
\nordering that the girl, Ese Oruru, who has never ever been kept under his
\ncustody in the Palace, be taken back to her parents in Yenogoa in liaison
\nwith the office of the AIG Zone One, Nigeria Police Force. He however
\nexpressed deep concern, during a recent press briefing, that his directive
\nwas not handled accordingly and therefore ordered that an investigation
\nimmediately commence on why the directive was not complied with by the
\noffice of the AIG.<\/p>\n
The issue was never at any point in time brought to the attention of the
\nState Government by any authority, group or person involved in any
\ncapacity in the issue, but only knew of it in the media.<\/p>\n
The State Government condemned in its entirety the actions of the alleged
\nabductor as it is against the provisions of the Constitution of the
\nFederal Republic of Nigeria and teachings of Islam which abhor abduction,
\nforced marriage even with the consent of parents of a girl be her a minor
\nor adult, and forced conversion to Islam as the Quran categorically states
\nthat \u2018there is no compulsion in religion\u2019.<\/p>\n
Security and other relevant agencies should expedite action to bring the
\nsuspect(s) to book and be dealt with according to the law;<\/p>\n
Condemned any statement by any person, group or organization linking Kano
\nState Government with the alleged abduction, forced marriage and
\nconversion to Islam of the girl. Such unfounded, untrue, misguided and
\nmischievous allegations being circulated in the mainstream and social
\nmedia platforms are only meant to discredit and tarnish the good image of
\nKano State Government, its people and the personality of His Excellency,
\nDr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.<\/p>\n
The Government has no prior knowledge of the issue before it becomes
\npublic; it has no connection whatsoever with the suspected culprit; it has
\nnever condone such actions and will never do so now or in the future. The
\nactions of the suspected culprit are private action of an individual which
\nhe carries personal responsibility even before the law. It is therefore
\nunfortunate and unjustifiable to attempt to link an unlawful action of
\nonly one person to the Government and over 15million people of the state.
\nThe person is solely responsible for his action and should take
\nresponsibility for it.<\/p>\n
The State Government has a very cordial relationship with the indigenous
\npeople and Governments of Bayelsa and Delta States and will continue to do
\nwhatever possible to promote that. Kano indigenes living in these states
\nand other states across the country are enjoined, as always, to live
\npeacefully with their host communities and respect their ways of life and
\nthe Constitution of our great country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kano State Government has noted with concern the news of the alleged abduction, forced marriage and conversion to Islam of 14-year old Ese Oruru of Opolo, Yenogoa, Bayelsa State, in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n