I recently had a baby and when it was time for me to resume work, so I decided to get someone to help watch the baby at home. Someone recommended a young girl to me. I was to help her register to write WAEC, among other things, so I brought her into my home to help me.

Two weeks ago I returned from work to find my baby alone, messed up in her poo. The girl was nowhere to be found. When I checked, I realised she had packed her things and ran away, leaving my baby alone for God knows how long. I was upset but I was also worried about her safety so I called her father and I also called the person who recommended her. Nobody knew where she was.

This girl is seventeen so I knew that as a naive girl, she was vulnerable.

The next day, I went to see her father. I know I should not have gone with my baby but I didn't think of anything wrong at that time. I had done nothing to this girl and I was focused on finding her. When I got there with my baby, I found out that some youth in the community had gathered along with her parents and grandparents. They threatened me and gave me two days to find their child. They even told me to give them money to help find the girl.

When I left that place I went to church and cried to God. I thought of how serious the whole thing could be. It was unsettling. While in church, the person who recommended the girl called me. She said the girl’s father wanted to speak with me.

The man said the girl had been found, that she ran to a church where she was helped by a stranger. I was relieved.

Later, I found out that all this time, this girl had been in her father's house. She was in the house that day when I went to her village and got threatened. Apparently, the lady who recommended her suspected what could be happening and called her father to plead on my behalf.

I felt bad and guilty that I put my baby at risk for absolutely nothing