Nine adolescent girls made to carry out sexual acts for cash have been rescued from a brothel by men of the Anambra state Police Command, following a tipoff from the state Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.
According to DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the frontman for the Police in the state, the saved youngsters are between the ages of 15 and 23 years old and the operator of the brothel was arrested.
In his statement on Monday, Ikenga alleged that the young women were lured with cash gifts from states like Akwa-Ibom, Enugu, Ebonyi and Rivers state by the owner of the illegal organisation. He further explained that the girls were promised more money to send back home to their parents if they continued with the trade.
He said: “Following the information received from Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare on Sunday at 6:00pm, police operatives stormed a hotel in Awka and rescued nine girls within the ages of 15-23years, used for sex slaves and arrested the proprietor of the hotel.
“Meanwhile, further interrogations/confessions of the rescued girls, revealed that the respective persons that brought them to the brothel lured/enticed them on the assurances of giving them jobs to alleviate poverty/needs of their parents and dependents.
“They further confessed to being taken from Ebonyi, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, and Rivers States. Also, the Police Command is in collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare to make sure the girls are taken care of and safely returned to their parents/guardians.
“The Command has condemned the act and frowned at such persons who take advantage of vulnerable individuals to make money and describe such places as a den where criminals take refuge.
“We urge the good people of Anambra to continue to provide the police with information about such places as the joint operations to weed such harbour has commenced.
“The case has since been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department Awka SCID, for comprehensive investigation and shall be charged to court afterwards,” he added.
The girls would be taken back to their respective states after they are reintegrated, Ikenga assured.