Teenager Ese Oruru’s abductor, Yinusa Dahiru, has remained in prison custody having failed to meet the bail conditions granted him on March 21 by the Federal High Court, sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Dahiru who was arraigned on March 8 is facing a five count charge bothering on kidnapping, illicit sex and having canal knowledge of a minor. He is alleged to have kidnapped the teenager and ferried her to Kano where he married and converted her to Islam. Ese is also believed to be pregnant for him.

Justice Aliya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, on March 21 granted the accused person bail in the sum of N3 million along with two sureties who must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court. Other conditions are that one of the sureties must be a civil servant of not less that level 12 while the second must be a title holder.

However, Dahiru’s lawyer, Kayode Olaosebikan, at the adjourned hearing of the case on Tuesday said that the bail conditions were too stiff for the accused to meet.

“We were unable to meet the condition that the sureties must be residents in Yenagoa, so, it has been difficult for us to bail him, Yanusa,” he said.

At Tuesday’s sitting, the prosecuting counsel, Keneth Dike, filed an application that the court should allow evidence to be taken from Ese in private, a proposal that was quickly opposed by defense counsel.

Dike said the application was necessary to protect the young girl’s image.

“For the interest justice, we must protect her image and future; we are seeking the leave of the court to take the evidence of the victim in private excluding every other persons except the parties and the counsel,” he said.

However, Olaosebikan opposed the application, saying that there was no merit in taking the victim’s evidence in private.

He argued that Ese’s pictures were already on the Internet, print and electronic media and is already well known by the public, adding that it was pointless at this stage to hide her identity.

After listening to arguments from both sides, Justice Nganjiwa adjourned the case to May 12 when the court would rule on the prosecution counsel’s application.