From Ben Dunno, Warri
Barely five weeks after nine teenage girls, ages between 15 and 18, who were trafficked to Ghana for prostitution were rescued, another camp of teenage girls prostitution has been discovered in Delta State.
The discovery was made by police operatives led by the Ekpan Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Aliyu Shaba. The team was able to track one of the most notorious leaders of the syndicate, a lady, Chiyenre, to Big Dafe Hotel, Ughelli North Local Government. Twenty-three teenage girls, mostly from Imo and Abia states were arrested with the aides of the trafficker (Chiyenre) who has been declared wanted.
But chairman of the hotel, Mr. Dafe Kpohraror, denied the claim of human trafficking and child prostitution in his hotel. He urged members of the public to discountenance the allegation. He insisted: “My hotel is not associated with human trafficking or child prostitution as falsely alleged in some quarters. The establishment is solely recognised for its lodging and accommodation services.”
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bright Edafe, recounted: “On July 15, 2024, acting on credible information received by the Command on the activities of one Chinyere (surname unknown) who specialises in trafficking women from the East and brings them to Ughelli Delta State for prostitution. Intelligence further revealed that she lures them by telling them that they are coming to Delta State to work as sales girls in a restaurant.
“The Commissioner of Police Delta State, Abaniwonda Olufemi, Shaba to immediately work on the gathered intelligence and ensure that the hotel is located and the suspect arrested.
“One of the victims (name withheld) was located and she revealed the illegal activities of the said suspect, Chinyere, currently at large.
“She stated that the suspect deceived her parents to follow her down to Delta State from Abia State to be a sales girl in a bar with a salary of #30,000 monthly. However, on July 12, 2024, she and two other young girls followed the suspect down to a town she later understood to be Ughelli but on getting to their final destination, they saw other teenagers.
“They were naked and were informed that it was prostitution they were brought for which they declined and as a result, they were immediately thrown out of the hotel.
“Based on the information, a combined team of surveillance stormed the hotel and arrested 26 suspects among which 23 are teenagers. Serious manhunt for the main suspect Chinyere is ongoing.
“In cases of distress, members of the public can reach the command either by reporting to the DPO in their area or call any of the following control room numbers; 08036684974, 08114895600 or 08025666914.”
Kpohraror, responded: “It is worth noting that on July 15, 2024, Nigerian policemen from the Ekpan and Ebrumede divisions conducted a raid on the hotel premises, arresting staff, guests, and lodgers on suspicion of human trafficking and child prostitution.
“According to all available hotel records, the three teenagers in question were not registered guests at the hotel. The hotel strives to adhere to the rules and regulations governing the operation of the hotel business within the state.
“It is important to clarify that the management of Big Dafe Hotel was unaware of any suspicions regarding Chinyere (surname withheld) involving human trafficking or child prostitution. Therefore, the hotel distances itself from activities associated with the individual in question.”
Speaking in a telephone conversation, the CP noted that the command has concluded plans on reuniting the teenagers to their parents even as investigations into the matter continued.
He warned parents and guardians to be weary of the kind of people they are entrusting their children, especially the girl child: “The trend of human trafficking and child prostitution requires the collective efforts of government, non governmental, private sector, religious bodies and civil society groups to tackle the ugly trends.”
The South South Professionals & Transparency Initiatives (SSPTI), expressed concerns over the growing increase in cases of teenage girls prostitution. Its national coordinator, Dr. Ugochukwu Alozie, urged police to further “beam their search lights to other notorious localities where commercial sex workers are mostly concentrated across the state.”
SSPTI blamed parents for the carelessness of handing over their children to people they knew little or nothing about their background or criminal state of minds, all in the name of securing a job for them. It appealed stakeholders “to rise up to the occasion by coming together and seek ways of reducing if not eliminating this barbaric act capable of traumatising these young girls all through their lives.”