Two young men in dilemma to pay N100,000 for sleeping with 14 year old girl

… It’s either they pay or be prosecuted for sexual affairs with a minor.

*A lot of young men are ignorant that sex with under 18 years is an offence, whether forced or consensual

BY DANIEL EFE

How to wriggle out of secret sexual that escapade a young man, John Boma,(not real name) aged of 23  years got himself involved with a 14 year old girl on the night of Thursday July 9  has been thrown them into dilemma.

The ignorance of the implications of having sexual affairs with a minor even when it was consensual has now entangled them in a web of dilemma to either pay N100,000  to Auntie of girl or be charged for sexual abuse and abduction by the Police.

Sex with under 18 years old is sexual abuse and an offence whether consensual or forced

In a telephone interview with Prince Wiro,  a human Rights Advocate,and Chairman of Civil Rights Council, who narrated the incident to our Correspondent said that a 23 year old young man harbored a 14 year old girl who was chased out of the house by her Aunty at night for a minor domestic misdemeanor.

The 23 year old slept with the girl till the next day and had an affair with girl with her consent and he gave 500  naira when she was leaving in  the morning.

However,the young man was shocked that the Auntie of the girl came along with  Police from one of the Divisions in Diobu came and arrested him, even when the 14 year old girl told the Police she consented to the sexual affair.

He was granted bail from Police custody on arrangement that he would pay N100,000 Naira  to the girl’s Auntie as service charge or be arraigned in Court if he defaults.

Civil Rights Advocate, Prince Wiro, said he was approached  to intervene on the matter.

According to Wiro:” After listening to a friend to the young man who was involved, I asked if the friend knew that under the Law, no adult is supposed to have sexual intercourse with a girl below 18 Years.

Prince Wiro, also inquired if as residents of Diobu, how much is the minimum charge fo ‘day break’  with a sex worker in a brothel, they said 2,500 naira.

”I told them that the girl as long as the girl involved is not up to 18 years and cannot be said to have given consent to sex under the law  because at that age it is assumed that she cannot take decision on her own.”

John Boma screamed that they were ignorant of that law. ”I told them that I will not get involved in a matter of Child abuse and as a person and Human Rights Advocates that we are even against it”

“They confessed that they were never aware that sleeping with a  girl under 18 years even with her consent to sex is an offence. I told them to educate their friends,as they have  now known that, it is against the law.”

The Human right advocate regretted that a lot of young adults run foul of the law due to ignorance and the aftermath and Police or other law enforcement agencies cash on their ignorance to extort them.