Govt. Officials, Police Operatives, Rescue 20 Girls, Including Two Underaged Forced Into Prostitution In Anambra
By Ifeizu Joe
Officials of Anambra State government, in collaboration with police operatives, on Wednesday, 1st November 2023, rescued 20 girls, including two Underaged who were forced into prostitution.
The girls were rescued when the team raided a hotel in Oba community, Idemili South Council Area of the state.
The raid was carried out following a tip-off from a whistleblower after continuous suspicious activities were observed around the hotel vicinity.
It was gathered that the underage girls were taken to hospital for medical examination and possible treatment by the ministry.
Speaking shortly after the raid, the state Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, commended the efforts of the security operatives in helping to rescue the girls.
Obinabo vowed to ensure that justice is served, while lamenting that despite the state government’s efforts to stop human trafficking, some unscrupulous elements are still engaging in such illicit act.
She said, “Before embarking on this raid, the investigation was carried out by the ministry, and it was discovered that the management of the hotel by the name ‘Ten Top’, Oba traffics girls from all parts of the country for prostitution purposes.
“The state government is committed to ending all forms of child kidnapping, trafficking and sex slavery in the state and we urge ndị Anambra to always report any suspicious activity around their vicinity for prompt response and action.”
Some of the rescued girls between the ages of 16 and 24 years who spoke to newsmen claimed that they were lured to the hotel by either friends or relatives on false promise to secure them jobs in the hotel while, on the contrary, they were trafficked.
The victims disclosed that the person who brought them to the brothel usually seized their phones and other belongings before handing them over to another woman who told them that they would only be released if they brought a certain amount of money to her or served her for one year.
They said they made between N4,000 to N10,000 daily, and N15,000 to N30,000 during weekends.
One of them, identified as Ebere, said, “We have different ‘madams’ at the hotel, and the money we made is taken away by our different direct ‘madams’ while the owner of the hotel, in turn, comes to collect the money.
“It is from the money we make that we pay the rent to the owner everyday, we pay the sum of N3,500 as rent on a daily basis from the proceeds of the prostitution business.”
“We were given N500 every morning for feeding for the whole day, while the food is brought to us by security guarda positioned at different areas of the hotel.”
The victims also revealed that they sleep with about 10 men a day in order to meet up with the target given to them, and if they don’t meet up with the target, they risk being beaten mercilessly by their madams.
The suspects who were also arrested after the raid are in police custody and will be arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka, after investigations.
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