A 17 year old girl has been arrested by a man identified simply as James, in Rumuokwuta Obio’Akpor, local government area of Rivers State, for refusing his sexual advances after he gave her money.
Human right group, Centre for Basic Rights Protection And Accountability Campaign, discosed this in a statement on Monday, September 19, 2022.
According to the statement, Mr James dashed the teenager N17, 000 but when she turned down his sexual advances, he demanded for a refund.
She, however, refused to return the money, so he got her arrested.
“Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign last Saturday received a call from residents at Bestman Estate,Rumukwuota,Obio/Akpor about a 17 year old girl who was arrested by Police Officers from Rumupeirikom(Kala) Police station in PortHarcourt based on compliant by one Mr. James who has being enticing and luring the minor for sex that she is owing him,” the statement read.
“The said Mr James has being dashing the minor money without telling her his reason until recently he started demanding sex from the teenage girl who turned down his request.
“Mr James demanded that she refund him 17,500 naira the total money he has dashed her but the teenager said it was dash and non refundable which prompted Mr James to effect her arrest.
“After listening to both parties,the DPO of the station asked the 17 year old girl to go with her parents and warned Mr James seriously to stop harassing the girl based on her age.
“Evidence Agwor Esq and Prince Wiro Rivers State Legal Adviser and National Coordinator respectively of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign were in the station for the matter.
“The Centre was demanding the detention and subsequent arraignment of the man for enticing and luring a minor but her family was of different view.
“The law is clear,an underage boy or girl( below 18 years) does not have right of giving consent in a sexual relationship.”
Meanwhile the teenager identified simply as Faith, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt, said she usually does pedicure for the man, saying the later usually ask her to keep the change after paying for services rendered.
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.”
The Spokesperson of the state police command, while confirming the incident said the matter had been resolved after the state commissioner of police, invited both parties.
