TheCable

Ify Obinabo, the commissioner for women and social welfare in Anambra, says 12 girls used for “prostitution” have been rescued from a brothel in the state.

In a statement on Tuesday, Obinabo said the girls were rescued from Happiness Guest Inn located at Amawbia in Awka, the state capital.

She said the raid was conducted in collaboration with the state police command after the ministry received a tip-off on June 18.

She said three of the girls were underaged from Enonyi state, adding that they have been taken to the hospital for treatment.

“Anambra government is committed to putting an end to all forms of child kidnap, trafficking and sexual slavery in the state,” she said.

“We got a tip-off and during the raid, we discovered that three out of the 12 girls are underage girls who were trafficked into Anambra from other states.

“We are warning brothel operators in Anambra. They should desist from using underage girls in running their businesses or face the full wrath of the law.

“The owner of the brothel has been arrested and the case will not be treated with levity as it has been transferred to the state criminal investigation department, Awka, for investigation.”

Narrating her ordeal, one of the victims, a 15-year-old girl, told newsmen that she was taken from her home in Ebonyi by two ladies.

She said the ladies told her she would be employed as a salesgirl in Anambra, but was shocked that they took her to Awka to engage in prostitution.

“The ladies who brought us to the brothel in Awka seized our phones and other belongings before handing us over to another woman,” she said.

“The woman is our madam and she told us that she would not release us unless we pay her N150,000 each or serve her for a period of one year.

“We were mandated to bring between N10,000 and N15,000 every night and N40,000 every Sunday. The men who sleep with us usually pay N1,000 per session.

“We started having issues with our madam because we could not pay the stated sums.”