The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone One, Shuaibu Lawal Gambo, has attributed the delay in the resolution of the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction of 14-year-old Ese Oruru to failure of communication.
Gambo, who has Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states under his command, disclosed this in a press conference that held at the Zonal Headquarters in Kano on Thursday.
He described as blackmail the action of some social media users and traditional media houses putting the delay in returning the girl to her parents on the zone.
The AIG noted that, as mentioned by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, the police and the Kano State Sharia Commission had been ordered to return the girl to her parents in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
He said that the delegation of the Sharia Commission arrived to the zone late in the evening and later resolved that they would go back and take the girl to her parents.
Gambo stated since that day, they had not been seen and no response came back from them, leaving the police with the impression that the girl had been taken back, which proved not to be the case when the matter again came to the fore few days back that she was still in the custody of the alleged abductor.
“When we heard this, we had no option than to mobilise my men in order to search for this girl, and my men arrived in the village of Tofar Kura in Kura Local Government Area of the state, but she was nowhere to be found,” Gambo said.
“Later, she was traced to the Kano State Shari’ah Commission where we made several efforts to collect her, which proved abortive till the day of 29 February, 2016.
“Following her receipt, she was immediately moved to Force Headquarters, Abuja where investigation is currently ongoing in the case,” he added.
Meanwhile, she has now been reunited with her parents in Bayelsa.
Gambo said it was very important to state that in normal circumstances a case of abduction does not necessarily require his attention because it is well below his office or that of a commissioner of police.
Besides, he noted, the case was never officially reported to the zone or the Kano State Police Command by either the parents or guardian of the abducted girl.
“Information obtained from my predecessor, AIG Tambari Yabo Mohammed confirmed that His Royal Highness (Emir of Kano) actually sent a delegation made up of some members of the Shari’ah commission and representative of the (Kano) Emirate Council with a letter requesting the police to take back the girl to her family with immediate effect.
“However the delegation after leaving zone one late in the evening did not come back with the result of what happened after all the parties agreed on the decision of the Emir of Kano.
“Giving benefit of hindsight, it is evident that there was failure of communication as the delegation never returned with the girl for onward transportation to her family and no further report of complaint in respect of the case.
“So we presumed that the case was resolved since they refused to come back to complain,” he stated.