No fewer than 18 under-aged girls and others used for prostitution and sex slavery have been rescued by the Anambra State government, in collaboration with security operatives from the state police command, during a raid of a hotel in Oba community, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
The raid was a follow-up to a tip-off from a whistleblower after continuous suspicious activities were observed around the hotel vicinity.
The under-age girls were said to be taken to the hospital for medical examination and possible treatment by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
Speaking shortly after the raid on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, commended the efforts of the security operatives in helping to rescue the girls.
Obinabo, lamenting that despite the state government’s efforts to stop trafficking in the state, some people are still engaging in the illicit act, vowed to ensure that justice is served.
She said, “Before embarking on this raid, investigation was carried out by the ministry and it was discovered that the management of the hotel, ‘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 Ndi Anambra to always report any suspicious activity around their vicinity for prompt response and action”.
Some of the rescued girls, aged between 16 years to 24 years, who spoke to journalists, all claimed that they were either taken to the hotel by a friend or a relation on the basis of securing a hotel job for them 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 informed them that they will only be released if they bring a certain amount of money to her or serve her for a period of one year.
They said they made between N4,000 to N10,000 daily on weekdays 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 every day, 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 and that the food is brought to us by the security guard 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.
Suspects arrested during the raid are in police custody and will be arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka after investigations.
