How Delta Police Smashed Human Trafficking/Child Prostitution Operations
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have apprehended suspects for their involvement in human trafficking and child prostitution.
A statement on Thursday by the Command’s PRO, SP Edafe Bright, says the arrest followed actionable intelligence received by the command on the activities of one Chinyere (surname unknown) who specializes in trafficking women from the East to Ughelli in Delta State for prostitution.
Intelligence further revealed that Chinyere lures them by telling them that they are coming to Delta State to work as sales girls in a restaurant.
Upon receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi, detailed the DPO, Ekpan CSP Aliyu Shaba, to immediately work on the gathered intelligence and ensure that the hotel where the illegal operation is conducted is located and the suspect arrested.
Consequently, on Monday, 15 July, at about 7pm, one of the victims (name withheld) was located and she revealed the illegal activities of the said suspect Chinyere, who is currently at large.
The victim further stated that the suspect made her parents to follow her down to Delta State from Abia State, on the pretext of employing her as a sales girl in a bar with a salary of N30,000 monthly.
On Friday, 12th July, the victim she and two other young girls followed the suspect down to a town she later understood to be Ughelli. On getting to their final destination, however, they saw other teenagers, naked, and were informed that it was prostitution they were brought to engage in. The girls declined the ‘job offer’, and were consequently thrown out of the hotel.
Based on the information, a combined team of Surveillance stormed the hotel, ‘Big Dafe Hotel’ by Ughelli/Patani Road, and arrested one Chioma Edafe who runs the hotel, alongside 35 others, 23 of which are teenagers. “Serious manhunt for the main suspect, Chinyere is ongoing”, the PRO said.
