Chapter 3: Parental Denials and First Clues

Cases like this—where a teenage girl runs away—most times, it’s to meet someone she met online. I asked Nnenna’s parents if they could access her social media accounts.

Nowadays, almost every student has a secret chat group or at least a burner WhatsApp number. In my mind, I was already picturing some Facebook lover with sweet promises and a battered motorcycle.

But her parents insisted again and again that Nnenna could never have been in an online relationship.

The mother was adamant. 'Officer, my daughter is not like those ones. God forbid bad thing! My Nnenna no fit try am. We have raised her well.' She pressed her palm to her chest, eyes burning with pride and fear.

“We never let Nnenna use a smartphone. She’s never had TikTok or WhatsApp.”

The father added, 'Even when she begs for small time on her friend's phone, we say no. In this house, we don’t encourage nonsense.'

“Is it possible she bought a phone secretly?”

He shook his head, lips tight. 'Nnenna is a good girl. She cannot do such.'

“We never give her pocket money. There’s no way she could buy a phone on her own.”

The mother snapped, 'Not even for gala and Coke! We control every kobo.'

My colleague and I exchanged glances. In this day and age, living without a phone is almost impossible. Besides, Nnenna was in secondary school—this level of control was just too much.

I muttered, 'Na wa o.' It was strange, even for a town where parents monitor their children with eagle eyes. I jotted a note, suspecting there was more beneath this surface.