Nollywood actress Bolaji Aleem bravely opened up about the traumatic sexual molestation she endured as a child at the hands of men in her community.
Raised by her grandmother, Aleem kept the abuse hidden, initially perceiving the incidents as a normal part of life.
In an interview on FeelRightNews TV, she shared that around the age of nine or ten, neighborhood men would lure her into their homes while she was selling goods on the streets.
These disturbing encounters happened multiple times, but she chose not to tell her grandmother, believing she wouldn’t understand the gravity of the situation.
As she grew older, other men in the area made similar advances, but by then, Aleem had developed the awareness to avoid them.
“I was a very pretty child. Men over 35 would call me into their houses while I was hawking on the streets. I was about 9 or 10 at the time.
“Those men would inappropriately touch my body. They were predators. I can still vividly remember two of them. They’d fondle my body and private parts and even ask me to touch their private areas.
“It happened about three times, but I kept quiet because I thought it was normal. Living with my grandma, I couldn’t explain it to her since she wouldn’t understand.
“As I started growing older, other men in the area tried to entice me for the same reasons, but I refused. By then, I knew exactly what they wanted.”