'My madam make me sleep with more dan 10 men a day' – Rescued underaged sex worker

“My Anty carry me from my village say I go help one woman dey sell for her hotel, but wen we reach, di woman say after all di big money she don pay say we must sleep with men to make di money she don pay, na so we start to do am.”

Dis na wetin Nancy (no be her real name) one of di 50 sex workers wey security agencies rescue from three brothels for Azikiwe Street, Mile 2 Diobu Port Harcourt, di Rivers State capital, Southern Nigeria tok.

Di raid wey officers of Police Tactical Unit, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, and di National Agency for di Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP join bodi do also arrest three suspects wey dey run di brothels.

Base Information officer Nigerian Navy Ship NNS Pathfinder Lt. Commander Richard Iginla say dem do di raid over di weekend following intelligence from NAPTIP wey bin don dey track di brothels as dem dey camp underaged girls wey dey as young as 14 years and shutdown di brothels too.

“Children na gifts from God and we must do evritin humanly possible to protect dem from all forms of abuse and exploitation.

”After NAPTIP share di intelligence with us, we set up joint team and immediately go into action to rescue di victims.

We rescue no fewer than 50 young girls wey dem force into prostitution while we arrest three recruiters and operators of di brothels.

On conclusion of our investigation, we go hand over di suspects and victims to NAPTIP for further investigation and possible prosecution.” E tok.

One of di rescued girls from Anambra State say dem bring her and two oda girls from her village to come work as househelp but dem end up dey do sex work.

“One of my village woman naim bring me and two oda girls from our village say we go come do house-girl work and serve for hotel.

E no tay after we reach di hotel, di woman go outside go collect money and dat na di last time we see her.

Later di Madam put us for room and tell us to do ashawo (sex work).”

She say she bin no gree do di sex work as dat no be wetin dem tell her for her village say she dey come do but after di Madam threaten say she go torture and starve her as she no ģree give her food, she begin do di sex work.

“In a day I dey sleep with more 10 men and wateva money I make, I dey give to my Madam.

We dey do daily account of any money we collect with our madam sister wey dey calculate and give us our cut.” She tok

‘Di rehabilitation of di victims go dey in phases as most of dem na minors' – NAPTIP

Head of NAPTIP for Rivers State, Mrs. Nwa-Amaka Ikediashi say di Agency go immediately begin rehabilitate di victims so dem for reintegrate dem back to society.

“NAPTIP go counsel and rehabilitate and also reintegrate dem. Most of dem na minors so e go be gradual process so dem no go continue prostitution.

We go also conduct proper investigation to make sure justice is served.”

Di three arrested suspects include one man and two women wey dey operate di brothels.

Cases of child trafficking no dey new for Nigeria and especially for Rivers state.

For September dis yaer, di Rivers State Police Command bin arrest woman wey dem claim say na fake Reverend sister for alleged child trafficking.

Di police also say dem rescue 15 pikin from di said woman ad later charge am to court.