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It seems to be a season of “running away to be with the one I love”. In just six weeks, we got reports of teenage girls in love eloping with their boyfriends. On December 4, 2014, Punch reported that a 13-year-old girl, Ezennia Chikwuo, left home (her house on Ishola Bello Close in the Alausa area of Lagos) with a man believed to be her boyfriend and had not returned since then.
On Wednesday, the same newspaper reported that another girl in love, Taiwo Olakunle, 18, allegedly ran away from home with her suspected lover. She had been staying with her aunt’s family, on Adeosun Street, Balogun in the Iju area of Lagos. She had only been brought from Ondo State July last year.
According to the newspaper, on November 11, 2014, Taiwo, an apprentice in a hair dressing salon, was reportedly beaten up by a band of street boys who claimed she intruded into their conversation. Even though the matter was reported to the Iju Police Division, and the hoodlums arrested, Taiwo, the following day, packed her belongings and took off with someone suspected to be her lover.
Taiwo’s aunt, Ola Lawal, told Punch: “When she came back that November 12, some people said they saw her pack her things and walk out of the compound. They said they saw a motorcycle rider pick her up and zoom off. That was the last time we ever saw her. She was already doing well in the hairdressing vocation, and her boss liked her. All the time she stayed with us, we did not allow her to indulge herself. I still cannot believe a girl who does not know Lagos will disappear like that.
“On December 22, the police at Iju even came to arrest my husband and me. We slept in the cell and were released the following day because it was alleged that we were hiding her.”
But her husband, Mr. Ibrahim Lawal, was quoted as saying: “When one of our neighbours came on a visit and heard about Taiwo, she said she saw her at Katangowa Market in the Abule Egba area buying some clothes with a man. She said she did not call out to her because she was not aware the teenager was being searched for.
“Another person told us he saw her on another evening in the Alagbado area going out with a man. This girl should have mercy on us and return home. If she wants to get married, let her inform us officially and then go.”
The police have however urged the public to report whenever the teenage girl (four feet tall and fair in complexion) is sighted.