POLICE RESCUE 9 SEX SLAVES IN AWKA, ARREST HOTEL OWNER

REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE

Police operatives in Anambra State have rescued nine girls between 15 and 23 years, allegedly used as sex slaves in a hotel in Awka, the state capital.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, says they also arrested the proprietor of the hotel.

According to statement, the raid followed information received from Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare on Sunday this week.

It said that further interrogations/confessions of the rescued girls revealed that the respective persons that brought them to the brothel allegedly lured them on the assurance of giving them jobs to alleviate poverty/needs of their parents and dependents.

The statement said the susupects further confessed to being taken from Ebonyi, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, and Rivers States.

The Statement indicated that the Police Command was in collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare to make sure the girls were taken care of and safely returned to their parents and guardians.

The Command condemned the act and frowned at persons taking advantage of vulnerable individuals to make money and described such places as a den of criminals.

It therefore urged the people of Anambra State to continue to provide the police with information about such places as operations were on to weed out such harbour.

Meanwhile, the statement noted that the case had been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka for comprehensive investigation and afterwards prosecute the perpetrators of the alleged crime.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU