A girl (name withheld), who was lured into prostitution, yesterday, told a Special Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Awka, Anambra State, how she was forced to have sex with 50 men in less than a week.
The girl was among three females lured into prostitution in a hotel in Amawbia, Awka South Local Council of the state, but refused to engage in the business as a means of livelihood.
The Guardian gathered that the girls were deceived with the promise of getting meaningful businesses and were threatened to allow men to have sex with them.
It was learnt that one of the girls, who challenged her sex aggressor, sustained bodily injuries and a sharp cut below one of her eyes.
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However, they were arrested following a tip off to security operatives by the state’s Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.
After the arrest, the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Awka for comprehensive investigation and later charged to court.
Thy accused consist of 13 males and nine girls, and were arraigned by the police prosecutor for contravening various offences, ranging from human trafficking, sex slavery, committal of bodily harm to rape.
Among those charged to court were Ife Igwe, f, Emmanuel Okechukwu, m, and Joseph Agafena, m.
The arrested persons, including the hotelier were granted bail and expected to perfect their bail conditions.
The Guardian gathered that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has indicated interest in the girls, promising to ensure that the girls are taken care of and returned to their parents safely.
Confirming the development, spokesperson for the State Police Command Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police received information from Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, last Monday, on illicit business of the hotelier and thereafter stormed the hotel.
Ikenga said on interrogation, the rescued girls revealed that some persons lured and brought them to the brothel on the assurances of giving them more meaningful jobs to alleviate poverty of their parents and dependants.
He also said the girls further confessed to being taken from Ebonyi, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom and Rivers States, adding that Police Command and Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare are collaborating to make sure that the girls are taken care of and returned safely to their parents.
“The Command has condemned the act and frowned at such persons who take advantage of vulnerable individuals to make money and described 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 harbours have commenced,” he added.
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