In a brothel in Awka on Monday, June 19, men from the state police command managed to free nine girls who were working as sex workers.
The victims, who ranged in age from 15 to 23, were saved after a raid on the site as a result of a tip.
According to a statement from the state police command spokeswoman, the women were persuaded to leave their homes on the promise of employment in order to support their dependents and parents financially.
Police spokesperson DSP Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident and said the proprietor of the brothel had been taken into custody.
He declared that the State Criminal Investigation Department has been given the case to look into.
“Following intelligence from the Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, police officers attacked a hotel in Awka yesterday, June 18, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. and freed nine girls who were being used as sex slaves. The hotel’s owner was also taken into custody.
Further questioning and the rescued girls’ confessions have shown that the individuals who attracted them to the brothel did so with the promise of work to help their dependents and parents out of poverty.
They also admitted to having been abducted from the states of Ebonyi, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, and Rivers. The Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare and the Police Command are working together to ensure the girls are cared for and safely delivered back to their guardians or parents.
The Command has denounced the behavior, expressed disapproval of those who prey on the weak for financial gain, and referred to such locations as a haven for criminals.
We implore the good people of Anambra to keep informing the police about these locations as the combined activities to weed out such harbor have started.
Calling the PRO at *08039334002 or the Command Control Room at *07039194332 is encouraged. You may rest easy knowing that all information sent through these methods will be handled with the utmost discretion.
Since then, the case has been given to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka, where it will undergo a thorough investigation before being brought before a judge.
