by Peregba Jerry
The Ogun State Police Command, on Friday, rescued 22 teenage girls between 10 and 14 years that were reportedly lured from Akwa Ibom State to Ogun state for prostitution.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this on Saturday in a statement.
Oyeyemi said the command got credible information that minors were being recruited as sex workers.
He said the police in an operation, coordinated by the Area Commander Ota, ACP Muhideen Obe, stormed a hotel about 8 pm on Friday and rescued 22 teenagers.
The PPRO said the victims lamented that they were lured from their respective villages in Akwa Ibom State to come to Ogun State, with the promise to employ them as sales girls in restaurants and supermarkets.
According to him, when they got to Lagos, they were later transferred to a brothel in Ogun State as commercial sex workers.
He said, “The police in an operation, coordinated by the Area Commander Ota, ACP Muhideen Obe, the police team, upon credible intelligence received, that minors were being recruited from other states and used as commercial sex workers at KOLAB hotel in Itele-Ota, stormed the said hotel at about 8pm, where the 22 teenagers whose ages are between 10 and 14yrs were rescued.
“On interrogation, the girls narrated how they were lured from their respective villages in Akwa Ibom State to come to Ogun State, with the promise to employ them as sales girls in restaurants and supermarkets, only for them to get to Lagos and transferred to a brothel in Ogun as commercial sex workers.
“They narrated further that, they were deprived of using phone or any communication devices, therefore, making it impossible for them to reach out to their parents or relations.
“The manager of the hotel one Isaac Ogbaji, 33, and 10 other male suspects were also arrested during the operation.”
The PPRO said the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered that the family support unit of the Area Command Ota should take over the investigation of the case.
He added that the team is to identify the recruiting cartel and bring them to justice as soon as possible.
