General News of Saturday, 18 April 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Lockdown: 17-year-old girl arrested at Lapaz on her way to see boyfriend

17-year-old Maa Akua was arrested by the Police at Lapaz play video17-year-old Maa Akua was arrested by the Police at Lapaz

A 17-year-old girl was arrested after she was caught while on her way to pay a visit to her boyfriend, breaking mandatory home confinement rules put in place due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The girl together with two other young girls her age was stopped by police officers at Lapaz, late Thursday afternoon.

Speaking to Ama Sarpong Kumankuma of UTV, monitored by GhanaWeb, the 17-year-old girl only identified as Maa Akua, explained that due to the hard-living condition of her parents, she decided to move to Madina to stay with her boyfriend.

She managed to convince two of her friends to join her travel from Odorkor Tipper to Madina, her boyfriend's place, a place better to host them during the lockdown period.

"Please I was going to my boyfriend. I am 17 years old," she told the reporter.

This was the conversation that ensued between the UTV journalist and the girl

Reporter: How long have you known your boyfriend?

Maa Akua: It has been long.

Reporter: Do your parents know your boyfriend?

Maa Akua: My mother knows but my father is not aware. I informed my mother I was going to my boyfriend.

Reporter: Have you tested to know the status of yourself before going to your boyfriend?

Maa Akua: No I haven't.

When quizzed about how long she wanted to stay with her boyfriend, she responded, she was going to be there till the outbreak was over.

An obviously naive Maa Akua who does not really know what is going on in this pandemic and why she needs to stay at home managed to easily influence two of her friends to join her visit her Madina-based boyfriend.



My daughter doesn't respect me because I'm poor

A follow up by UTV, the next day to the house of Maakua, confirmed that the living conditions of her family is poor. The family live in a small kiosk with little space at Odorkor Tipper.

When quizzed to know if, she knew the whereabouts of her 17-year-old daughter, mother of Maa Akua disclosed that she only got to know that her daughter had been arrested by the police after one of her children rushed to the house to inform her about the incident.

The mother of 7 kids, lamented that her child does not respect her because she’s poor.

Father of the young girl also spoke, watch the interview below: