Teenage Girls Abscond After Failing Exams

Two SS1 students of the New Era Girls Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos, identified as Janet Abiodun, 18, and Evenly Apalowe, 17, left home to check their last session examination results and subsequently went into hiding for fear of telling their guardians they will be repeating the class.

According to New Telegraph, Janet’s aunt, Mrs Olufolake Oyinloye, said she waited for her for a long time, thinking she might have been kept busy in school. She however became worried when it was night and there was no sign of the girl. Unfortunately, Janet does not own a phone, so there was no way to reach her.

She added: “The following day, I went to one of her friends, Evelyn’s home. I was shocked to discover that she too had not been seen. I have searched everywhere for her. I have also called her friend’s parent in Osun State to confirm if they were there. I do not think it is a crime to repeat a class. That is why she ran away. I went into her room to check if she dropped a note, but there was nothing. She did not take anything in the house. I just do not understand her reason for running away.”

Oyinloye recalled that when Janet collected her first term result, she had given her some gifts and urged her to do better next time.

Asked if Janet might have a lover, Oyinloye said no, stressing that the girl swore to her that she was a virgin.

She continued: “The girl is my cousin. She has been living with me since December 22, 2013; after I saw the manner she was being treated by her father. I told my elder sister to persuade her to come and live with me. That was how she got to my place. I am not the harsh type. The only time I would say I scolded her was when she collected her second term result and hid it from me. What my children eat is what I used to give to her. I don’t discriminate between her and my children. I don’t know why she ran away.”

Oyinloye said she went to Janet’s school to find out if she had committed any offence, but was told by her teacher that after the students collected their results, one of her friends, whom they used to walk home together, told her that they should start heading home, but Janet refused, insisting that she wanted to walk with Evelyn. Since then nobody had seen the girls.

She added that three days after they left home, Evelyn called her father on phone, saying she was in Ibadan. But since then, the phone line had not been going through.

“Evelyn’s aunt told me that the girl had left home once. She was sure Evelyn would soon return home,” she said.

Oyinloye added that she has reported Janet missing at the Area ‘C’ Police Command.