The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Police Command has arrested a suspected human trafficker, Daniel Ifeoma, for allegedly turning six girls to sex slaves.
The 28-year-old woman and her accomplice, Collins Madueke, were arrested at the weekend in the Apo area by the Special Intelligence Response Team, SIRT, of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, the Punch is reporting.
The victims, Nancy Azubuike, Amarachi Chinedu, Chidinma Amakwe, Chiamaka Eze, Beauty Ndulue and Blessing John, whose ages range from 19 to 22, were found locked up in a room before the police rescued and handed them over to officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters, NAPTIP.
According to the report, an unidentified man, who stayed in the neighbourhood where the girls were locked up, gave the police a tip-off.
He said, “The girls were kept in the room and someone usually brought food for them through the window. When the got there, they forced the door open and discovered that there were six girls.”
The victims who were rescued June 17, confessed to the police how they were lured by the suspects to Abuja to become commercial sex workers, adding that they were promised N100, 000 after six months.
One of the victims, Nancy, 20, said she slept with no fewer than 15 men in a day, adding that Daniel made N20, 000 from her daily.
Nancy said, “I hail from Mbaise, Imo State. I dropped out of secondary school. My parents were aware that I wanted to go to Abuja to learn a vocation. My friend told me it would be commercial sex work. What I did not understand was that we would be locked up in a room.
“I slept with no fewer than 15 men in a day because they loved my services and always asked for more. I normally made between N15, 000 and N20, 000 every day, but the money went to madam (Ifeoma).
“I was asked to stay with her because there was no accommodation. The police stormed the place where we were locked up and rescued us.”
Another victim, Blessing, 19, who hails from Aba, Abia State, said, “It was one Aunty Joy who brought me to Abuja and handed me over to Madam Azonto. “Madam Azonto promised to give me N100, 000 after six months if I agreed to be a commercial sex worker.
“She kept me in a room with the other girls and brought our food to the same room. Every evening, we were taken out to different joints where we slept with several men. I normally collected N1, 000 per round from customers,” the victim added.
The suspect, Ifeoma, an indigene of Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State, said she brought two of the girls from their villages.
In her confession, the mother of two said, “I have two children, Akunnaya and Charity. I divorced my husband three years ago because he always beat me. “I went into commercial sex work as a means of survival. I started the work in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. I was told commercial sex was more lucrative in Abuja, so I relocated here in 2015.
“I operated in the Apo area. I thought I could make more money by recruiting some girls to work for me. I brought the girls and the agreement was that I would pay them N100, 000 after six months. I also promised to take care of their feeding.
“I brought only two of the girls – Chinedu and Blessing. The other girls were brought by two women known as Mama Cynthia and Azonto,” the suspect added.
Her accomplice, Madueke, who hails from Nsukka, Enugu State, denied working with Ifeoma to recruit the victims for commercial sex work.
According to him, “I worked as a hairdresser. In the first week of June, I was in my shop when Chinedu (one of the girls) approached me saying she wanted to learn hairdressing.
“The following day, she came back with four other girls and they all said they wanted to learn as well. I know them as apprentices.”
Confirming the incident, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olabisi Kolawole, said the police were making efforts to arrest the fleeing members of the syndicate.
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