As the Valentine’s Day celebration draws near, some activists in Lagos have expressed concerns about the dangers of breaching provisions of the Sexual Offences Act and its consequences for offenders.

The activists, who are also lawyers, warned the public to desist from sexual offences and stay cautious during the period.

Valentine’s Day, also known as St. Valentine’s Day, is celebrated annually on February 14 worldwide. Although February is seen as a “month of love,” many have misinterpreted the same to be a season of “sexual adventures.”

They said it had, therefore, become instructive for youths to put their emotions in check, especially during the season, adding that there are dire consequences for breach of the Sexual Offences Act.

A Lagos rights campaigner, Spurgeon Ataene, said that although the libido of youths, especially in Lagos State, appears checked by the existence of the Sexual Offences Court, there is, however, the need to resound a warning.

“Love to such persons means sex; therefore, to show that they love you, they sometimes force you to have sex with them. The female gender, equally in some instances, forces men to have sex with them, though this is rare,” he said.

According to him, while men are constantly bashed on social media for sexual atrocities, it is important to note that the female gender is sometimes responsible for these abhorrent behaviours.

“Some ladies, even minors who claim to be civilised, wear such skimpy attires that are so revealing and immediately tempting,” said Mr Ataene. “The men who fall for such trap fail to understand that some of these people use it to trap unsuspecting victims.”

He, consequently, urged men to be cautious of ladies during the Valentine’s, as it often appeared that a “booby trap” awaited those accused of molesting ladies even without sufficient evidence.

“As we look forward to Valentine’s Day, men must be wary of the opposite sex and their influencers so as not to fall victim and spend needless time in jail.

“Ladies too must learn to be mindful of the company of men they are found with in order to be safe,” he said.

Also, the Vanguard for Judicial Independence convener, Douglas Ogbankwa, warned ladies to abstain from perpetuating fraud during the Valentine’s season.

He noted that when a lady collected huge sums of money from a man, promising to spend time with him during the season, such a woman could be liable for fraud if she failed to appear.

“If, as a lady, you collect money from the opposite sex with a promise to show up at a designated place and you wilfully fail, you are liable for a breach of Section 419 of the Criminal Code.

“Again, where a lady collects such monies from a man with the intention of collecting more money under a similar guise, then she may be liable for Advanced Fee Fraud.

“The problem is that Nigerians take a lot of such issues for granted, and this has promoted a continuous breach; this is not the case in other climes,” he said.

Mr Ogbakwa, consequently, urged women to refrain from such fraudulent practices during the season while urging men to put their orgies in check.

(NAN)