Now That We Have #FreeEse, Who Will #FreePatience And The Others?

The social media went agog on Sunday night with the news of a 13 year old girl who was abducted by a Northerner called Yunusa Yellow and taken to the north to be forcefully converted to Islam. Not just this, their was another twist to the story, perhaps, the annoying one which was the fact that the a year old girl was made to marry her abductor. Now, that is a babaric act you will say, but welcome to Nigeria, a place where anything can happen. The painful thing about this story is not just the abduction of the teenage girl from Kano, but the trauma the unfortunate incidence has made her family go through in order to secure the release of their daughter. According to the father of the girl, Mr Oruru, it was his wife who first travelled down from Bayelsa to Kano last year, but when her efforts proved fruitless, he told had to go to Kano, and obviously, but journeys were fruitless.

There are a some questions begging for answers. What will make a grown man abduct a girl from her home and get married to her without the consent of her parents? Where are the parents or the family members of Yunusa the man in the middle of this atrocities? Should we assume they knew nothing about this or they were glad to allow their kinsman marry a minor without the consent of her parents? Who conducted the Nikah? What is the position of the Quaran on parental consent in marriage?

Patience

While we were still chanting #freeEse, another case of the same nature suffice in the media. It happened that  Patience Paul, a 15 year old girl was abducted from her home in Benue State last year by some Northerners and taken to Sokoto, and like Ese, she was converted into Islam and made to marry one of her abductors. According to her brother, Mr Paul Adaji, all efforts to secure the release of his sister has proven abortive.

If we dig further, I am sure we will find many other cases of these nature. Now we have #FreedEse, who will free the rest? A much more disturbing concern is the safety of our young girls even in their own community. Of course, this is a clarion call to parents to be vigilant and take care of their wards, but if we are indeed one Nigeria, will it be proper for a parent to warn their kids not to get close with any hause/Fulani man for any reason? But for the social media war, Ese will still be in Kano married to Yunusa. It is about time be began taking drastic measures against such incidences, it was Ese, it can be your daughter or that innocent girl in your neighbourhood tomorrow.