PUNCH
Godfrey George writes on the controversy surrounding the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl, Confidence Awele, who left home on Sunday, August 8, 2022, allegedly to join one Aunty Oge, who promised to take her to Malaysia for hook-up (prostitution).
It is still like a dream for the Ezechies how their 15-year-old daughter, Confidence Awelle-Ezechie, suddenly disappeared from home on August 7, 2022.
Her aunt, Juliet, with whom she lived in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said she ‘jokingly’ told her siblings that she was headed for Malaysia with one Aunty Oge.
Juliet, a Delta-State indigene, looked like she just saw a ghost while she spoke to our correspondent.
Her voice shook; her hands quaked.
A young girl put in her care went missing right under her watch and she had no idea where she could be.
“I don’t know where to begin from. My life is finished,” she started.
“How do I present this to the public? What do I say? Confidence was given to me by her parents to take care of her. See what my good has done to me,” she cried, using the shawl wrapped around her neck to wipe the tears that trickled down her cheeks.
From village to city
The 37-year-old mother of one said she picked up Confidence from the village when she went for a holiday a few years ago.
According to her, Confidence’s parents begged her to take the girl to Port Harcourt, where she was based, to join her in her hairdressing trade.
“Her mother said she was stubborn and never used to do any house chores at home, and she used to fight her whenever she complained. Then, Confidence was just about nine years old.
“I was in shock when the mother told me that Confidence used to fight her. The young girl was about to write her Common Entrance Examination into Junior Secondary Secondary at that time. When I spoke to her, she told me that her mother wanted to force her to go into auxiliary nursing against her wish but she wanted to further her education.
“I spoke to the mom about it but she explained that she didn’t have the funds to further Confidence’s education and asked that I helped out,” she said.
Juliet said after some discussion, she agreed to take the teenager to Port Harcourt.
“Everyone else apart from my dad was aware of the agreement to take Confidence with me apart from my dad, Confidence’s uncle. I knew he wouldn’t buy the idea of me taking his brother’s child to Port Harcourt from Delta. But I took the risk for my family. I saw a girl who needed help and I offered to help her,” she added.
On getting to Port Harcourt, Juliet said she asked Confidence what she wanted to do for a living and she said she wanted to go to school.
Juliet said she then put her in a school.
“She was just nine years old then. She lived with me for almost six years before her unfortunate disappearance.
“We never had any issues. I gave her whatever she wanted. I have my other relatives, who are girls and my son, who is around 17 years old, at home. So, they were always together at home.
“I even had to change her school to that of the other children so she would be close to them. I didn’t want any issues with bad friends.
“My mum’s family has a house around Ogbunabali; so, sometimes, they would be there with her and go to school together. They are always together,” she stated.
Bad influence
All things began to change when Juliet saw Confidence with an android phone one day when the teenager visited her salon.
Shocked by this, she asked how she was able to afford a phone at age 15, and Confidence said it was her elder brother in the village that got it for her.
“I was not convinced. I called her mom to speak to the brother. They told me they both sent money to her account and she got the phone,” she added.
Still not convinced, she grilled the young girl to be sure there was no cover-up between her mother and brother.
Frustrated by inconsistent responses from Confidence, Juliet said she smashed the phone.
