An anguished Mrs Ola Lawal, aunty to teenager Taiwo Olakunle who has been missing from home since November 12, and her husband have been detainedby the Iju Police.
The Lawals of Adeosun Street, Balogun in Iju area of Lagos were suspected of hiding Taiwo
Eighteen-year-old Taiwo, an apprentice hairdresser, had been beaten up on November 11 by a gang of Lagos boys who accused her of intruding into their conversation.
The Iju Police subsequently arrested Olakunle’s suspected assailants and gave her form to go the hospital for treatment
But on her return from the hospital the next day, however, Olakunle reportedly packed her belongings and sneaked out of the house with an unidentified man, believed to be her lover.
Following Olakunle disappearance the Lawals reported the case to the Police who subsequently detained them for two days
Mrs Lawal recounted Olakunle’s life story: “Taiwo (Olakunle) is my niece. Her parents are dead. She was just staying idle in our town in Ondo State and I decided to bring her to Lagos. I enrolled her at the hairdressing salon two months after she arrived in Lagos.
“On November 12, she came back from treating herself at the hospital. The men who beat her up said she was intruding into their discussion, but the police arrested them and charged them to court.
“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.”
The husband to the aunt, Mr. Ibrahim Lawal, told newsmen that two sightings have been had of Olakunle, both in Lagos. He said, “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.”
When our correspondent visited the hairdressing salon where the teenager was an apprentice, the boss, Mrs. Tosin Bada, noted that there was only one instance when a man came to flirt with Taiwo, and she had sent the supposed lover away.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident. He urged those who saw the teenager to report to the police at Iju.
Meanwhile Olakunle’s disappearance is the second in recent in a month and half in Lagos. who was brought Lagos by their aunts in October 2014.
Olakunle’s case is the second of such in six weeks.
There had been a report December 4 that 13-year-old Ezennia Chikwuo also left her house on Ishola Bello Close in the Alausa area with a man, suspected to be her lover, and had since not returned.