Prostitution: Ogun police rescue 22 underage girls from brothel, arrest 10 male suspects

By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

Ogun state police command said it has rescued 22 underage girls who were lured all the away from Akwa Ibom state to Ogun state for prostitution.

The 22 underage girls whose age ranges from 10 to 14 were said to have been allegedly rescued from Kolab Hotel, Itele Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota local government on Friday, May 7 where they were being used allegedly as commercial sex workers.

According to statement from the Spokesman of the state police command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi over the weekend, their rescue operation was said to have been coordinated by the Area commander Ota,  ACP Muhideen Obe.

The statement disclosed that “the police team, upon credible intelligence received, that minors were being recruited from other states and used as commercial sex workers at KOLAB hotel in Itele ota, stormed the said hotel at about 8pm, where the 22 teenagers whose ages are between 10and 14yrs were rescued.

“On interrogation, the girls narrated how they were lured from their respective villages in Akwa Ibom state to come to Ogun state, with the promise to employ them as sales girls in restaurants and supermarkets, only for them to get to Lagos and transferred to a brothel in Ogun state as commercial sex workers.

“They narrated further that, they were deprived of using phone or any communication devices, therefore, making it impossible for them to reach out to their parents or relations.

“The Manager of the hotel, one Isaac Ogbaji aged 33 and ten other male suspects were also arrested during the operation.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Awolowo Ajogun, has ordered that the family support unit of the Area command Ota should take over the investigation of the case, identify the recruiting cartel and bring them to justice as soon as possible.