Muslim group demands prosecution of Ese Oruru’s abductor

A Muslim rights group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called for the arrest and prosecution of one Yunusa who allegedly abducted a 14-year old Ese Oruru from Bayelsa.

Yunusa allegedly converted Ese into Islam forcefully and married her.

“We demand that Yunusa Oruru (sic), the ‘boy friend’ with whom the girl eloped should arrested and prosecuted,” Professor Ishaq Akintola, director of MURIC said in a statement on Tuesday.

Akintola also called for the prosecution of the alleged abductor before the Kano Shariah court and the Yenagoa court.

He also demanded that the girl should be properly examined in the hospital in Kano she is returned to the custody of her parents.

Akintola said Ese being a minor cannot be married without parental consent, especially under Shariah Law which demands that a bride’s parents or guardian must give their consent before a marriage can be deemed valid.

“Our position is based on the fact that the girl is a minor. Attempting to marry off the girl without her parent’s permission is not only a breach of common law but also a violation of the Shariah provision on the need for the parents’ approval before nikah (Islamic marriage) can be deemed valid (La nikah bila waliyyin).

“Of particular significance in this regard is the express command in the Glorious Qur’an that women should be married with the permission of their parents. The Qur’an says inter alia, “ …And marry them (i.e. women) with the permission of their parents(Qur’an 4:25).”

Akintola said his group cannot afford be partisan in spite of the fact that Yunusa is a Muslim since it is obvious that he broke the law.

“A fellow Muslim, Yunusa, has violated the law and caused a Christian family to go through a traumatic period. Unless it can be proved that the girl came to Kano separately and alone, not in the company of Yunusa, the latter stands culpable. He should therefore be handed over to the Yenagoa authorities with immediate effect. This must be done in order to serve as deterrent since this type of behaviour is capable of igniting anti-Muslim emotion.”