Trafficking: Police rescue 23 female teenagers, arrest suspect

The Delta State Police Command says it has rescued 25 victims of human trafficking in the Ugheli area of the state.

The Command’s Spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, stated this on Thursday in Asaba.

He said, “On June 15, 2024, acting on credible information received by the Command on the activities of one Chinyere (surname unknown) who specialises in trafficking women from the East and brings them to Ughelli Delta State for prostitution.

“Intelligence further revealed that she lures them by telling them that they are coming to Delta State to work as a salesgirl in a restaurant.

“The Commissioner of Police, Delta State, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi, who has zero tolerance for human/child trafficking, detailed the DPO, Ekpan CSP Aliyu Shaba, to immediately work on the gathered intelligence and ensure that the hotel is located and the suspect is arrested.

“Consequently, one of the victims (name withheld) was located, and she revealed the illegal activities of the said suspect, Chinyere, unknown, currently at large.”

According to Edafe, the victim stated further that the suspect deceived her parents into following her down to Delta State from Abia State to be a salesgirl in a bar with a salary of N30,000 monthly.

He, however, said that the victim and two other young girls followed the suspect down to a town, later understood to be Ughelli, but on getting to their final destination, they saw other teenagers.

“They were naked and were informed that it was prostitution; they were brought for which they declined, and as a result, they were immediately 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, 36, who runs the hotel, and 35 others, among whom 23 are all teenagers,” Edafe added.

He said a serious manhunt for the main suspect, Chinyere, was ongoing.