The Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare Mrs Ify Obinabo has rescued about 20 girls between the ages of 15 and 25 at a brothel in Oba, Idemili South local government area of the state.
The raid was done in collaboration with the Anambra State Police Command following a tip off from a whistleblower.
Two amongst the rescued girls are underage and the Commissioner has already taken them to hospital for medical examination and possible treatment.
Before embarking on the raid, investigation was carried out by the ministry and it was discovered that the management of the hotel by name Top Ten hotels Oba traffics girls from all parts of the country for prostitution purposes.
Speaking immediately after the raid, Hon Obinabo appreciated the efforts of the Nigerian Police Force, Anambra State Command in helping to rescue the girls.
She lamented that despite the state government’s efforts to stop trafficking in the state, some people are still flaunting the law promising to make sure that justice is served.
Hon Obinabo therefore restated the state government’s commitment to ending all forms of child kidnapping, trafficking and sex slavery in the state and went further to urge Ndị Anambra to always report any suspicious activity around their vicinity for prompt response and action.
On their part, some of the rescued girls said 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.
They revealed that the person who brought them to the brothel usually seized their phones and other belongings before handing them over to another woman who notified 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.
On how much they make daily, they said that they make from N4,000 to N10,000 naira on week days and N15,000 to N30,000 on weekends which is taken away by their different direct bosses while the owner of Top Ten Amaechi Etikokwu in turn comes to collect the money.
They also revealed that it is from the money they make that they pay their rent to the owner everyday, noting that they pay the sum of (3, 500) thousand five hundred naira as rent on daily basis from the proceeds of the prostitution business.
When they were asked how they feed and cope at the brothel, the rescued girls all said that they were always given N500 every morning for the feeding for the whole day and that the food is brought to them by the security positioned at different areas of the hotel.
These girls 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 madam.
The suspect who were also arrested and in police custody will be arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Magistrate court in Awka.
