I never knew he owned a popular mobile accessories outlet in Imo State until he told me. He was always travelling out of the country and would always buy me expensive gifts from there.

After about 3 months, he asked me out and I told him that I needed more time to think about it. He wasn’t happy with my response, he tried as much to convince me that he was deeply in love with me and wants to marry me.

He was very generous and very lovely not to accept, always pampering me as though I was his child. I loved him enough to say yes but somehow I kept feeling like it was just too early to dive into a relationship with him.

I am the first child of my parents but my dad is late. My mom on her own path was still too young to be a widow, taking care of a handful of us all by herself. We were like cat and rat because she didn’t allow me do according to my youthful exuberance.

I wanted to be free from her by every means possible and that could only happen if I get married. I was so desperate to get married at such tender age but when that guy came to me, that desperation somehow dissapeared.

He kept calling me as usual and I eventually agreed to date him. He was soo excited with my response and told me that he would take me along on his next trip abroad. I thought he was joking at first but when he asked for my necessary documents to get me a passport, it dawned on me that he was serious.

He paid for an express passport and within a month, it was ready. He told me to prepare for the trip but make sure I don’t carry much load because we would do shopping abroad and will eventually have excess luggages.

He asked me if any of my friends or family member was aware of our relationship and I said NO. He told me that he would prefer we keep it private and just between us until we come back from the trip.

I was soo happy and of course there was no need to tell my mom cos she will never consent to it. I was only worried that I would miss so many lectures and tests but he assured me that he has enough long legs to take care of them.

I packed my luggages at my hostel as he instructed even though he didn’t tell me the exact day we were leaving. He just asked me to prepare and expect his call that week.

One evening around 9pm, he called and asked me if I was ready to move and I affirmed. He asked me to start coming out, sent me money to book a ride to the place he would be waiting to pick me. He asked me if I was sure I didn’t tell anyone about our trip and I said yes.

My bolt driver arrived and just about 20mins we drove off, my mom called and asked of my whereabout. My mom is like an FBI, she instantly knows when you are lying and when you’re saying the truth.

I told her I was on my way to see a friend and she started asking me what I was bent on ki.ll.i.ng her by always making her shout and get worried about me. She didn’t care to know who, her concern was that it was so late at night.

She asked where I was meeting the person and I couldn’t even say the name of the place correctly because I wasn’t conversant with that area. At this point, I told her the truth about my new boyfriend and our trip.

I was still on call with my mom when my boyfriend started calling me. My mom ordered me to alight wherever I was and go back to school or come back home. I dropped mom’s call and returned my boyfriend’s call.

Immediately he picked, the kind of rage in his voice was a rude shock to me. He asked why I couldn’t keep our little secret and I just spilled everything to my mom. How he found out, I couldn’t tell. I tried explaining myself and he bounced the call on me.

I kept calling him and he didn’t pick. I told the driver to stop and I paid him. I went back home from there because it was already do late at night to go back to my hostel. My mom dealt with me that night and seized my phone.

I still went ahead to try calling him with our neighbor’s phone. Whenever he picks and hears my voice, he would drop and block the line. I gave up and forgot about him.

I completely forgot about him until 2 years later when I heard a rumour of his arrest concerning Hu.ma.n trafficking and how he takes girls abroad and sell them as s.e.x workers without their family having a trave of their child’s whereabouts.

It was a big rumor because his brand was quite popular but after some weeks, the whole rumors cleared. I was shocked but couldn’t open my mouth to tell anyone about my experience with him because my mom would make sure I start going to school from home.

I imagined what would have happened to me if my mom didn’t call me on my way to meet him. Who knows where I would be by now? Nobody would have the slight idea of my whereabout etc. That was the day I adviced myself to be responsible.

That man is currently a king in one community and it’s very unfortunate that people who should rot in jail are roaming free and respected”.