In Rumuokwuta Obio’Akpor, a local government area in Rivers State, a man going by the name James allegedly arrested a 17-year-old girl for rejecting his attempts toward her after repeatedly giving her money.
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The trouble allegedly began when the man arrived at Best Man Estate in Rumuokuta with police officers from the Kala Police Division to arrest the girl.
The teenager identified as Miss Faith told newsmen in Rivers state Port Harcourt that she typically performs pedicures for the man and that he typically requests that she keep the change after paying for the services provided.
She said, “James came to arrest me in my shop today. I have being cleaning his nails and each time he comes to my shop, I will clean his nails and he will tell me to keep the change.
“He gave me money sometimes and he never told me the reason why he was giving me these money, until when he finally told me to follow him to a hotel one day, but I refused. I told him I couldn’t go to a hotel with him because he is a married man. Since then he had been telling me to sleep with him, but I refused.
“He then decided to bring policemen to my shop today to arrest me. They took me to the station and asked me to write a statement on how it happened and I wrote everything down.”
James told reporters who approached him that the DPO had become involved in the situation.
The girl left with her parents after the DPO heard from both parties and warned the guy to stop harassing the girl based on her age, according to SP Grace Koko, a spokeswoman for the Rivers State Police command.
A group called the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign claimed to have received a distressed call from estate residents regarding the situation.
Prince Wiro, the organization’s national coordinator, revealed this to reporters and claimed he spoke with the minor over the phone as well as some of the locals who insisted on accompanying the girl to the police station because they believed the complainant may have given the police incorrect information.
Wiro said he arrived the Police station at Kala, and after the DPO heard from both parties, the girl was asked to go with her parent, while the man was warned to stop harassing the girl.
He said, “Ordinarily, we would have pressed charges against the man for him to be charged for enticing and luring a minor but the parents of the girl held a different view. So we cannot cry more than the bereaved. My advice to people is that they should not hinder the police from carrying out their legitimate duties.
“Most times complainants would misinform the police, and it is only when the police have heard from both parties that they can make an informed decision.
“I equally advice our young girls to be mindful of the kind of men they take money from. Some men can go as far as even arranging people to rape women they think collected their money, especially when they do not get what they want from the women.”
When contacted, spokesperson of the state police command, said the matter had been resolved after the state commissioner of police, invited both parties.
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