The Women Affairs Minister, Senator Jummai Alhassan, had vow to ensure the teenager's release following the public outrage the story caused shortly after Punch launched a campaign tagged #FreeEse.

Ese was abducted in Bayelsa stateon August 12, 2015, she was 13 years old at the time, by Yinusa, who was said to be a long standing customer of the victim's mother, Mrs Rose Oruru, a food vendor in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

Yinusa took Ese to Kano state, converted her to Islam and forcefully married her. He was said to have held the girl captive in the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi's palace.

It was not however clear if her kidnapper and others involved in the abduction have been arrested.