Ten years after a high-profile abduction case that gripped the nation, Yunusa Dahiru, the tricycle operator infamously known as Yunusa Yellow, has broken his silence. In an exclusive interview with Weekend Trust, the 34-year-old maintained his innocence, insisting he never abducted 13-year-old Ese Oruru or fathered her child. Now struggling to make ends meet after serving a reduced prison sentence, Yunusa appeals for support to rebuild his life.
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The saga began in 2015 when Yunusa was accused of luring Ese, a JSS 3 student from Opolo Community Secondary School in Bayelsa State, to Kano and forcibly converting her to Islam with the intent to marry her. Ese’s parents’ desperate public pleas, particularly her mother’s emotional appeals, drew national outrage and prompted government intervention.
Under intense pressure, police traced Ese to Kano in February 2016, rescuing her and reuniting her with her family the following month. Upon her return, it was revealed that she was five months pregnant and later gave birth to a baby girl. The case ignited fierce debates on child trafficking, forced marriage, religious conversion, jurisdictional overreach, youth vulnerability, and poverty.
In 2020, Yunusa faced a five-count charge at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, for abduction, child trafficking, sexual exploitation, and unlawful carnal knowledge. Convicted on all counts, he was sentenced to 26 years in prison. His appeal partially succeeded, with the Court of Appeal reducing the term to seven years, citing errors in the lower court’s ruling. The Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed his release in June 2023.
Coincidentally, just last month October 2025 Ese Oruru graduated from the University of Ilorin with a Second-Class Upper degree in Education Technology, marking a major milestone in her life.
Speaking from his home in Kano, Yunusa tearfully recounted his version of events, insisting Ese traveled to his village voluntarily. “I never abducted her,” he said emphatically. According to him, Ese had told her mother about a spiritual dream inspiring her conversion to Islam. He claimed he advised her to discuss it with her family first and denied playing any role in her decision.
“I never discussed with her about coming to Kano,” Yunusa added. “When I heard she had come to my village looking for me, I took her to the Emir’s palace because I knew keeping her in my house would cause trouble. That’s why I involved the authorities.” He alleged that a friend had shared his address with her, and when her family arrived from Bayelsa, they accused him of abduction amid resistance from local leaders.
Yunusa blamed his conviction on legal missteps, including missing court sessions due to illness without presenting a doctor’s report, which led to his bail being revoked. He said he was shocked by Ese’s courtroom testimony. “She swore on the Bible and lied that I brought her to Kano. The truth is, I had come to Kano months before she arrived. There was no love between us—we were only casual friends. To God who made me, I never knew she would come to Kano looking for me.”
He vehemently denied impregnating Ese, describing it as a fabrication to tarnish his image. “Ese was never pregnant for me,” he said. “Despite the fact that I had never had any carnal knowledge of her, her family claimed I impregnated her and that she had a baby. When the court demanded to see the baby, they couldn’t produce her.”
Yunusa said he asked to see the child during court proceedings. “I told them I would accept the baby if they brought her before me, but up till now, I haven’t set my eyes on the so-called baby,” he stated, calling the allegation an effort to “soil my name and social status.”
The ordeal, he said, cost him everything. “The case cost me everything,” Yunusa lamented. His family sold farmland and valuables to fund the Bayelsa trial. Their home was destroyed by rain, forcing them to move in with relatives. “I was left with nothing but my life,” he said.
Amid his struggle, notable figures came to his aid. Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso provided a tricycle, paid his wife’s dowry, and offered counsel. The late Alhaji Aminu Dantata funded his appeal and rebuilt his home. Others, including Barrister Badi’a and singer Dauda Kahutu Rarara, assisted, though Yunusa said much of the promised support never materialised.
Prison life, he recalled, was “too painful to remember.” “The feeling of being convicted for an offence you didn’t commit is trauma on its own. But as a Muslim, I believe everything that happened was destined by God.” Inmates mocked him, ignoring his pleas of innocence. Ese occasionally sent greetings through a friend, but he refused to respond. “If she had told the truth in court, things would have been different.”
Yunusa praised his wife’s loyalty. “She vowed never to leave me, even after my 26-year sentence. She prayed I would be released early, and by God’s mercy, it happened.” Members of the Hausa entertainment industry supported her throughout his incarceration.
Freedom, however, has brought little relief. The Kwankwaso-gifted tricycle and family farmland were sold off during the trial. As a father of two the youngest named after Dantata in gratitude Yunusa now labours on other people’s farms. “I earn about ₦2,000 a day when there’s work, but sometimes I go days without any job,” he said.
If Ese ever reaches out again, Yunusa vowed to relocate for safety. “I will move to Katsina. I don’t want to see or hear anything about her again.” He appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and well-meaning Nigerians for help: “I want to return to my tricycle business. I’ve paid dearly for something I didn’t do. I just need a little help to get back on my feet.”
His father, Alhaji Dahiru Bala, echoed his plea: “He has served his jail term, but a day will come when the truth will be known. We’ve accepted everything as God’s will, but he needs support to rebuild his life.” The family credited the solidarity from Kano and other northern supporters for carrying them through.
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