…alleges stepdad sexually abused her before marrying mom
Juliana Francis
Advocate for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN), along with the Akinpelu Police Station, has rescued a 16-year-old pregnant from Lagos Hotel.
ACVPN’s staff, Comrade Okanlawon Toyin said that the child was rescued from a hotel at Agbalaya Street Afariogun area of Oshodi local government.
The child said that her stepfather sexually abused her, but it is yet unclear if that is part of the reason she ran away from home.
She was said to have camped in the hotel with an adult male, who used to have sex with her. Before connecting with the man, she had previously stayed under Oshodi Bridge.
Preliminary investigation showed that the girl was lodged in the hotel by a man identified as Bishop otherwise known as John.
On the day the police team and ACVPN stormed the hotel to rescue the child, Bishop was not there. Further questions revealed that he went for his perfume trading business at Terminal 1 of the Oshodi motor park.
Comrade Toyin said: “The manager has promised to produce him. Though his girlfriend, a 16-year-old minor, called him to come to the hotel, he promised but did not come.
“The minor claimed Bishop is her boyfriend. It was her mom and grandmom, who discovered that she was pregnant. She later confirmed it. She then claimed that the owner of the pregnancy was not the Bishop who camped her in the hotel.
“She claimed that the owner of the pregnancy died a month late, and Bishop started having sex with her two weeks ago. She also said that her relationship with Bishop was just a month old.
“The girl threatened to kill herself, mom and grandmom because they came to report to ACVPN that she ran away from home. She also said that she would kill herself, her mom and her grandmom if Bishop was arrested.
“She further said that the owner of the pregnant was an HND student of the Mass Communication Department of Yaba College of Technology. She added that Bishop bought clothes and food for her, and had been caring for her.
“She cried whenever she remembered her stepfather. She said that her stepfather abused her sexually. It was the man who deflowered her. The mom believed the victim would harm her and ran away. The girl’s grandmom said she was told that Bishop usually comes to the hotel with different girls.”
The Police and ACVPN continue the hunt for Bishop. Under the Lagos State Child Rights Law, Bishop has committed a crime by having sexual intercourse with a minor and could bag life imprisonment if found guilty.
