Police Investigate Irish for Deliberately Infecting Girls with HIV in Lagos

Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Lagos State Police Command has initiated an investigation on the allegation by a young lady, one Helen that her boyfriend, one James Turner, an expatriate from Ireland, deliberately infected her with HIV alongside two others.

The victim, a Benue State indigene, who spoke with journalists at the Ikeja Police Division said they met eight years ago and had a smooth relationship until January this year, when he tested positive to HIV and hid it from her.

She said, “I met James Turner eight years ago. He told me to move to his apartment. I started living with him. We were living like husband and wife.

“In January 2016, he fell ill and we went to a hospital in Ikeja, where they ran some tests for Typhoid and Malaria.

“Unknown to us, the hospital has a policy of running HIV tests. They did and apparently saw he had the virus. When the doctor asked him whether he can talk in my presence he said no, so I excused them.

“I noticed that he started taking a lot of drugs and when I asked him, he said it was for a Typhoid and Malaria.

“But when it became too much, I stole the drug name and Googled it and discovered that it was for HIV. I asked him and he denied it. He said the drug was for his knees.

“Again, I stole the number of his doctor and called him. The doctor called me over and ran a test on me and I found out I was positive too.

“My world crumbled, I fell down and started crying. I regretted ever meeting the man because the doctor took my blood sample to another hospital for confirmation test and the result was positive again. I was totally down even though I have no symptom of sickness.

“Well, to kill anger and boredom, I followed some of my friends to a party. He kept calling me whether I was coming home that day and I replied in the negative.

“I later changed my mind and came back that day only to catch him pants down with my best friend. I then sourced for money and moved out.

“Meanwhile, he deliberately infected me with the virus because after he had known his status, he made sure he slept with me often. I attributed it to love.

“After I found out my status, he kept on taunting and humiliating me on how I won’t ever find a man to marry me again and that my life was over.

“He told me that I should go to hell and that he has infected many girls and that he was just beginning. He told me that I was a fool. He told me that he sent his wife home immediately he tested positive to HIV.

‘He told me to hang myself. He said he is over 60 and that he has lived almost his life span, but that I was still 31 and no one would marry HIV patient.

He told me to go and report to anywhere I wished as I would be subjected to ridicule and stigmatisation.

“After listening to his humiliation, I attempted suicide, but I was rescued by my friend. I went back to the doctor, who invited him and advised him to set up a business for me.

“He was told to give me N2.5million as money for Anti-retroviral drugs and to set up a business. He agreed there but each time I reminded him of the money, he would shout me down.

“He would boast that I was not the only person that he has infected. He would tell me that he was has just started, that he would finish Nigerian girls before he leaves the country.

“I decided that before he would finish Nigerian young girls, I should expose him. That is the reason I reported him to the Police. I want the police to stop him as he has gone berserk infecting people and boasting about it.”

The suspect on his own part was so rude to journalists, calling them unsavory names like thief and brushing off their questions with the word “bullshit”.

After he was lured by a reporter pretending to be a pro bono lawyer he opened up.

He said, “I am not going to talk about the issue right now. The girl and others love money. They want to extort me. I know I am HIV positive but she infected me.

“Ask her what happened in 2013 when she travelled to Kaduna. It was at that time that she got it and infected me. Let her get away. I told her that we should settle the matter but she decided to embarrass me. I won’t take it.

“I don’t understand why she is bringing all these things up, I did not rape her. We were friends and we will remain friends. I repeat, she was the person who infected me with HIV.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, who paraded the suspect said, “On Thursday, the Ikeja Police Division got a report from a young lady that she and her friend were deliberately infected with HIV by this man who has been boasting to infect more females.

” The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) mobilised and arrested the suspect for questioning. We are investigating to know if he deliberately infected the ladies with HIV.

“If it is true, we will stop him from infecting more people. If it is true, we will charge him to court for deliberately infecting someone with HIV.