There is palpable tension in Abojuda village, seventy-five miles, from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, following the sudden disappearance of a 17 year old year girl, Rofiat Aregbeshola, whose parents are said to be divorced.
The teenager was said to have been given out in marriage to one Taofik Biobaku, a wealthy septuagenarian cocoa farmer within the community in December 2023.
A source disclosed that Rofiat’s mother, who was in the dark over the development, was said to be enraged on hearing the news much later
The story was said to be the same for the young girl who told friends that she was forcefully married to Biobaku.
“The girl’s full name is Rofiat Abosede Aregbeshola. Her mien clearly showed that she was not happy to have been forcefully married to a man set to be in his 70s. But as an innocent, young girl, there was nothing she could do, since she could not disobey her father.
“All this while, she has always been moody, preferring to stay indoors most of the time, with many thinking she was now in purdah which would naturally restrict her movement,” the source said.
However, the news of her disappearance from her husband’s residence soon became public knowledge, following a search for her by the local vigilante group
The local security outfit was said to have taken the search to the nooks and crannies of Abojuda for days without success
An indigene of the village who simply identified herself as Ireti disclosed that she was not surprised about the sudden disappearance of the 17- year old
“The little girl is somebody I know so well. I know her parents too, and she is such a lovely girl. However, it is as if forcefully rushing her into marriage has eclipsed the joy she usually radiates.
“That she eloped was therefore not surprising, as any young girl in such an unsavoury situation will do the same,” Ireti said.
Already, the rumour mill is awash with all manner of stories, with some claiming that Rofiat’s disappearance might be the handiwork of her mother
Meanwhile, a rights group, Universal Defenders of People’s Rights (UDPR) has vowed to drag Rofiat’s father and Biobaku to court for forceful marriage and kidnapping, if the girl is not found within two weeks,
Convener of the group, Marcel Atunrase said in a statement that this was because the teenager’s whereabouts were still unknown.
“We shall use every legal means to bring the culprits to book as their actions are clearly in breach of the Child’s Rights Act,” he declared.
