24 Girls Trafficked From Akwa-ibom For Prostitution Rescued In Lagos

We collect N1,500 from customers – 13yr old victim

Twenty-four girls who were trafficked from Akwa-Ibom State to Lagos, for prostitution, were rescued at Abbatoir, Agege area of the state, by the Police, Thursday.

Arrested, were four men suspected to have brought them.

The girls whose ages were between 13 and 22 years, lived in shanties, where their male customers patronized them. They revealed during interrogation that they collected N1,500 from their male customers but had to reduce the price because of the impact of the COVID-19.

Activities of the traffickers came to limelight, following a report of the disappearance of one of the girls, by her relatives in Akwa-Ibom state. It was gathered that during investigation, she was traced to the shanties in Agege, where she was engaged as a commercial sex worker.

Surprisingly, a team of policemen who went for her rescue, discovered that she was not the only one brought into the state by the syndicate. During profiling, one of them disclosed that she was 13 years old.

When asked what she came to do in Lagos, the teenager, boldly declared that “ I came to hustle”.

But some of them said they were tricked with employment promise by the agents, only to discover it was a prostitution job.

One of them, said, “ I am from Oron, Akwa-Ibom State. I came to Lagos in January 2020. I was told I was coming to work as a maid only to discover it was a prostitution job and I could not leave because I didn’t know anywhere in Lagos.

“At first, we were collecting N1,500 from customers. But when business became bad, especially because of the Corona Virus, we started collecting N1000. We pay N1,000 daily for accommodation. At the end of the day, the agents would collect the money realized from us.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Elkana Bala, who confirmed the rescue of the girls said the men arrested were the brothel managers. He gave identities of the managers as Okon Felix, 32; MichaelEtim, 22; Victor Asuquao, 35 and Goodness Ebiefie, 32.

Names of the rescued girls are Precious Okon Edet, 21; Offong Mary, 19; Favour Bassey, 22; Blessing Steven, 17; Success Edet, 20; Ndifreky Okoh, 24; Queen Odoh, 21; Alice Edet, 20; Blessing Esin, 21; Mary Etim, 20; Faith Sunday, 25; Sonaj Beauty, 23 and John Agnes, 13.

Others are: Miracle Effiong, 23; Oriong Patience, 20; Effiong Blessing,20; Vivian Edet, 23; Amanda Effiong, 14; Joy Timothy, 21; Edet Patience, 20; Sunday Glory, 20; Goodness Effiong, 19; Sandra Okon Effiong, 20; Gift Emmanuel, 27; Precious Okon Edet, 21, among others.