One of the human trafficking victims rescued from a popular hotel in Katsina State by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has shared her story.

 

 

 

The agency arrested three suspected members of an inter-state human trafficking syndicate that specialises in the recruitment, harbouring, and trafficking of young girls from other parts of the country to the North for sexual exploitation.

 

 

 

 

The suspected traffickers were arrested inside the hotel located in Katsina township, where three victims of human trafficking were rescued during the sting.

 

 

 

 

Speaking after the operation, a victim (name withheld) alleged during the investigation that they were deceived, recruited, and trafficked to Katsina with a promise of a legitimate job, only to be forced into prostitution against their will.

 

 

 

“I was brought here by a woman who promised to give us a job and said we would be paid very well. I asked her the details of the job, but she said I would know the nature of the job when I got here. When we got here, she introduced us to prostitution, which was not part of what they told us before,” she narrated.

 

 

 

“We actually sleep with a lot of men — at least 20 men a day — and all the money we get goes to the chairlady of the place, by name Amarachi.

 

 

 

“We have no choice but to sleep with 20 men a day. Even when we are on our monthly period, we are forced to sleep with the same number of men. Even when we are sick or tired, they still force us to sleep with men.

 

 

 

 

 

“They said it is not their business to know how we feel, but that our job is to engage in prostitution. They give each of us a Fearless energy drink every evening so we can have energy to work, stay awake, and sleep with the men to get money for them. They take all the money we make and leave us to feed ourselves.”

 

 

 

While thanking NAPTIP for coming to their rescue, the victims disclosed that the traffickers, in addition to crippling them financially to prevent escape, also paid some men to keep an eye on them.

 

 

 

According to a communiqué signed by the agency’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, the manager of the hotel and two other workers were arrested.

 

 

 

Two of the victims are from Benue State and one from Rivers State. Their ages range from 21 to 26 years old.

 

 

 

NAPTIP noted that a preliminary investigation reveals the suspects were believed to be major suppliers of victims to brothels and other notorious centres, including some in neighbouring countries.