By: Felix Ikpotor
An underage girl (name withheld) who was forced into prostitution in Port Harcourt , Rivers State , has narrated how she slept with more than 10 men in a day.
The girl who is among the fifty girls rescued by the Nigerian Navy in conjunction with the Nigeria Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) after they raided two brothels in Diobu, Port Harcourt, said she was lured into prostitution by a woman in her village in Anambra State under the guise of coming to work in a hotel in Port Harcourt.
She said initially refused to work as a prostitute but the brothel operator threatened to torture and starve her to death, so she had no choice but to give in.
The girl, speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said, “One of my village women (trafficker) brought me and two other girls from our village with the impression that we are coming to serve in a hotel,” she narrated.
“Shortly after we arrived at the hotel, she (trafficker) went outside and collected money from one woman (brothel operator). That was the last time I saw her (trafficker). Later, the woman, simply known as madam, put us in a room and told us that we would work as Ashawo (prostitute),”
She said she initially refused to work as a prostitute but the brothel operator threatened to torture and starve her to death, so she had no choice but to give in.
“In a day I sleep with more than 10 men, and whatever money I make, I give it to my madam. We hustle by wearing pants to seduce the men. After admiring what they see, they (men) take us into the room; have sex with us and give us money
“We do a daily account of any money we collect to our madam’s sister, who calculates and gives us our cut,” she added.
Lt.-Cdr. Richard Iginla, Base Information Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, while briefing newsmen said the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Nigeria Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
According to him, the 50 prostitutes, mainly teenage girls were rescued in the early hours of Saturday after a tip-off from NAPTIP.
“We got the intelligence from NAPTIP, who had been tracking the brothels that camped juveniles with some of them as young as 14 years of age.
“So, after NAPTIP shared intelligence with us, a joint team was set up and we immediately went into action to rescue the victims.
“No fewer than 50 young girls forced into prostitution were rescued while three recruiters and operators of the brothels were arrested,” he said
Iginla said the brothels; Royal Brothel and Cool Breeze Brothel both located on Azikiwe Road in Diobu area of Port Harcourt had been shut down.
He said that efforts were ongoing to arrest the leaders of the sex trafficking ring, who recruits children from villages into prostitution.
“Children are gifts from God, and we must do everything humanly possible to protect them from all forms of abuse and exploitation.
“The Nigeria Navy will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to bring to justice criminal elements that traffic persons either on land or through the waterways.
“On conclusion of our investigation, the suspects and victims will be handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation and possible prosecution,” he added.
Speaking, the Head of NAPTIP in Rivers, Mrs. Nwa-amaka Ikediashi, said the agency would immediately rehabilitate the victims with a focus to reintegrating them back into the society.
According to her, the victims would also partake in different phases of counseling, to ensure they don’t continue prostitution.
“NAPTIP, as the focal agency mandated to fight all forms of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, will conduct a proper investigation, to ensure justice is served,” she promised.
