Olusegun Ariyo
A 14-year-old survivor of sex trafficking in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State has revealed that she slept with at least 10 to 12 men daily while in the camp.
The survivor (name withheld), a native of Akwa Ibom State, was trafficked into Ogun State on the 29th of January, 2024.
The Ogun State Amotekun Corps, at about 6:15 am on Wednesday, raided the sex trafficking camp in Ifo local government area of the state, leading to the arrest of 15 suspects and their boss identified as Idem Joy.
The victims, between the age of 12 and 39 were used for prostitution at the Railway Line Hotel, located along the old bank road in Ifo.
Some of the Items recovered included a sum of N819,600, various types of drugs, cartons of condoms, energy enhancers, lubricants, and packs of tissue papers, among others.
The Corps Commandant, Brigadier General Alade Adedigba (retd.), while parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Abeokuta, said 14 of the girls were trafficked from Akwa Ibom, with the others from Cross River and Delta states.
According to Adedigba, the survivors on questioning disclosed that they were coerced into taking an oath, a traumatic experience that involved being stripped naked and having parts of their hair cut off for alleged ritual purposes to scare them from running away or confessing.
Speaking to newsmen, the 14-year-old survivor, a JSS3 dropout, said before her arrival, she was told that she would serve as a sales girl, but on getting to the state, she found herself in prostitution.
“They did not tell me that this is what I will be doing; they only told me that I would be a sales girl when I arrive. So I came with my friend, Glory, but she works at another hotel.
“On getting here, I was given some drugs to take before I started the work. She (Idem Joy) cut some hair from my head, saying whenever I ran she would use my hair to kill me.
When asked how much she was paid, she said, “Sometimes I make N20,000 per day depending on the turnout. I sleep with 10 to 12 men a day, they pay N1,000 or N2,000 it depends.”
