ESE Oruru, a 20-year-old Nigerian woman, has graduated from the University of Ilorin with a Second Class Upper Division degree in Education Technology. This remarkable achievement comes nearly a decade after she was abducted from her mother’s food shop in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and taken to Kano, where she was forcibly converted to Islam and married off to her abductor, Yunusa Dahiru.
The case sparked widespread outrage in 2015, with many condemning the abuse and exploitation of the then 13-year-old girl. Following a protracted trial, Dahiru, also known as “Yellow,” was sentenced to 26 years’ imprisonment in 2020 for child abduction, unlawful carnal knowledge, trafficking, illicit intercourse, and sexual exploitation of a minor.
Despite the traumatic experience, Oruru demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination. After being rescued and giving birth, she returned to school, completing her secondary education before gaining admission to the University of Ilorin. On October 22, 2025, she was among the nearly 12,000 graduands at the university’s 40th convocation ceremony.
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, celebrated Oruru’s achievement, stating, “I am super-joyful to honour and celebrate the academic achievement of Ese Oruru! Ese graduated 2nd Class Upper Division in Education Technology today at the University of Ilorin and now stands as a testament to what a determined mind can accomplish.”
