Yunusa Dahiru, the young man accused of abducting 14 year old Ese Ururu threw a bombshell on Tuesday when he disclosed that he had been dating and having ex withthe teenager before he took her to Kano to marry her and that her mother was aware of the illicit relationship.

Dahiru, 18, said this on Tuesday while speaking to journalists in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, after his arraignment before a Federal High Court on a five count charge of abduction, kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation.

Dahiru, who admitted responsibility for Ese’s pregnancy, said that he did not know how old it was as he has been sleeping with her months before he took her to Kano.

Insisting that the girl’s mother was aware of his relationship with the teenager, he however said that her father was kept in the dark over the affair.

Appearing calm and unruffled in the court, he pleaded not guilty to all the charges filed against him. Justice H.A. Nganjiwa ruled that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the matter to March 14 to hear the defence counsel’s bail application.

Also speaking to journalists after the arraignment, Dahiru’s counsel, Kayode Olashaebikan, said that there was no case against his client as the matter was that between two “love birds” who decided to elope to be together.

“It is case of two love birds, in our social parlance we call it elopement but government and the state prefer to call it abduction and it is left for the court to decide whether it is abduction or elopement of two minors because Yunusa is 18 years old and the girl in question is 14 years old,” the lawyer stated.

The prosecuting counsel, Kenneth Dika, however said the state was ready to prove that the young man’s guilt, adding that he would be calling six witnesses during the trial.

The charges againt Dahiru are:

That you Yunusa Dahiru ‘m’ of Opolo-Epie, with Dankano Mohammed, ‘m’, Mallam Alhassan, ‘m’ presently at large between the months of August 2015 and February 2016 at Opolo-Epie in Yenagoa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court did conspire among yourself to commit an offence to wit: Abduction and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 27 (a) of the Trafficking in Persons (prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

That you Yunusa Dahiru ‘m’ of Opolo-Epie between the months of August 2015 and February 2016 at Opolo Epie, Yenegoa, in the Yenagoa Division of the Federal High Court abducted one Rita Ese Oruru ‘f’ aged 14 years by means of coercion, transported and harboured her in Kano state and therby committed an offence punishable under section 13 (2) (b) of the Trafficking in Persons (prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

That you Yunusa Dahiru ‘m’ of Opolo-Epie between the months of August 2015 and February 2016 at Opolo-Epie. Yenagoa in the Yenagoa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, induced one Rita Ese Oruru ‘f’ aged 14 years by the use of deception and coercion to go with you from Yenagoa to Kano state with intent that she be forced or seduced into illicit intercourse and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 15 (a) of the Trafficking in Persons (prohibition) Enforcement Administration Act, 2015.

That you Yunusa Dahiru ‘m’ of Opolo-Epie between the months of August 2015 and February 2016 2016 at Opolo-Epie, Yenagoa in Yenagoa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court procured one Rita Ese Oruru ‘f’ aged 14 years and subjected her into sexual exploitation in Kano state and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 16 (1) of the Trafficking in person (prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

That you Yunusa ‘m’ of Opolo-Epie between the months of August 1015 and Fenruary 2016 at OIpolo-Epie. Yenagoa in Yenagoa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court had unlawful carnal knowledge of one Rita Ede Oruru ‘f’ aged 14 years, without her consent and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 357 of the Criminal Code Act and punishable under section 358 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C. 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigerian, 2004.”