The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons said it rescued eight persons, including underage girls, from a brothel in Kala, Whimpey Road, in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Head of NAPTIP in Rivers State, Amaka Ikediashi, said five persons, including the manager of the brothel, were arrested by the agency.
Ikediashi explained that NAPTIP officials had been monitoring activities at the brothel, leading to the arrest and rescue, even as she described the condition the girls were subjected to as exploitative.
“We had to go there, carry out our surveillance and we were able to confirm our suspicion before we raided the brothel.
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“We had to also know the timing that we were going to get our targets and the victims. How can you keep somebody, the person will be working for you and you are collecting the person’s money? It is exploitation.
“So, we are calling on people that do such to desist from it. We are going to take them in for counselling and rehabilitation. We will also reunite them with their homes. Funny enough, some of them, their parents don’t even know where they are,” she stated.
Some of the suspects, however, denied exploiting the rescued girls and using them for prostitution.
One of them, a middle-aged woman, said, “I do cook and sell at the brothel. So, two girls came to me that they wanted to stay at the place and I said no problem.
“I asked them their age. One said 20 years; the other said 19 years. They are not underage girls. They are all more than 18 years. One of them is even 21 years old. We all do our business there.”
A male suspect also corroborated the statement of his female colleague, adding that they were not the only ones doing the business in the state.
