A 43-year-old Nigerian, Abimbola David, has been arrested in the United Kingdom over alleged inappropriate online interactions with a 14-year-old girl, including illicit requests.
Reports indicate that the teenager submitted evidence of their conversation to the police, prompting Abimbola’s arrest.
An advocacy group, Saving Our Children’s Futures, confirmed that Abimbola, who is married with two children, currently lives in the UK on a student visa. His arrest has sparked discussions about online safety, especially on platforms accessible to minors.
During police questioning, Abimbola claimed he was unaware of the girl’s age and expressed surprise at encountering a minor on the platform. “I met her on a dating app, I was surprised I could meet a little girl on the app. I was just there just to calm myself when I’m bored,” he said, defending his presence on the app.
Abimbola insisted his actions were not malicious, asserting, “I asked her for those images for her to stop chatting with me. I wanted to be sure if she was a child or not, that was why I asked her. I don’t deal with minors. If she had sent me those pictures, I will delete them.”
When asked if he realized he was potentially harming the child with his messages, he argued, “If I want to abuse a child, I will send her my home address. I have never done that in my life. I was just saying all that for nothing’s sake.”
He further revealed that he misrepresented his age on the platform, stating, “I am 43, I told her I was 24. It’s a dating app and they fake their age. She said on the dating app that she was 18, as they won’t allow you on the app unless you are 18 and above.”
