Tina Amanda
A man in his early 40s identified as James, on Saturday, created a scene at Bestman Estate, Rumuokwuta in Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers state as he stormed the place with Police officers from Kala Police Division, Rumupeirikom, to effect the arrest of a 17-year-old girl, Miss Faith who turned down his sex demand after he dashed her money on several occasions.
Speaking to our correspondent, Miss Faith narrated that she was in her hairdressing shop where she works when James came with Police officers to arrest her.
“On Saturday in my shop, James came to arrest me. I have being cleaning his nails (pedicure and manicure) as a customer the remaining change, he will tell me to keep it as a tip for myself.
“Each time he comes to my shop, he will clean his nails and tell me to take the change. Sometimes, he gives me cash gift after the manicure, he never told me the reasons why he was giving me money, until one day he told me that I should follow him to a hotel and I refused to go to a hotel with him after I found out he is a married man.
“He kept disturbing me each time to follow him to a hotel, which I know that the moment I go with him to a hotel, he is going to sleep with me, so I kept turning him down. On Saturday, he decided to bring the Police to my shop to arrest me.
“The Police officers took me to the station and told me to write a statement of what happened and I wrote everything down”.
According to our correspondent, when James was approached for interview at the Police station, he declined and only said the case has been handled by the DPO.
However, Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, told our correspondent that the Divisional Police Officer who handled the matter has issued a stern warning to James, to stop further harassment of the underaged girl.
Our correspondent gathered that the total sum of money spent by James on the girl within a period of two months was about seventeen thousand five hundred (17,500) naira.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, in an interview with journalists said he received a call that some Police Officers from Rumupeirikom (Kala) Police station came to effect an arrest of a minor based on complaint by one James who has being luring and enticing the minor for sex.
Wiro said that he had to intervene when he spoke with the 17-year-old girl on phone and some of the residents who wanted to resist the Police from taking the underage girl to the station.
He narrated that he arrived the Rumupeirikom Police station at Kala and after the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) heard from both parties, the girl was asked to go with her people while the man was warned to desist from harassing the girl.
Wiro advised residents of the state not to resist lawful invitation by the Police even when they are innocent as complainants in most cases misinform the Police and the only way truth can be discovered is by inviting the alleged suspect and hearing from both parties, adding that any of the parties can approach the Public Relations Officer or the Commissioner of Police should they not be satisfied with Division Police outcome.
He further advised men to woo women properly and not to equate giving cash gift to a female to indicate consent to sex. He also cautioned young ladies to be careful of receiving gift from men as that can be an avenue for them to be harmed.
