MICHAEL AKINOLA
The Commissioner of Police Crack Squad of the Lagos State Police Command have rescued 12 teenage girls at Mazamaza hotel, who were billed to travel abroad for prostitution while the operatives arrested two members of the human trafficking syndicate during the operation.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the operation, which lasted for several hours, was led by the leader of the Crack Squad, CSP Adams Uba, and they busted the syndicate which specialised in luring teenage Nigerian girls abroad for prostitution and child labour.
The two suspects, Chike Aniebonam and Donald Ovikute, are currently in custody undergoing interrogation over their alleged criminal activities and were said to have been on the watchlist of the Police for some time.
According to Police sources, intelligence report was received that the suspects had brought to Lagos some of the girls they lured from the southern, western and eastern parts of Nigeria.
Thereafter, a siege was laid at Mazamaza Hotel, Lagos, where the girls were camped ahead of shipment to Ghana, Benin Republic, and Sierra Leone.
According to sources, detectives who were at the hotel disguised as patrons and subsequently swooped on the suspects while rescuing the 12 teenage girls.
The suspects confessed to having been in the business for the past seven years.
Spokesperson for the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, was yet to react to the arrest through official statements on the matter.
However, a source close to his office said the arrest was made on May 29, 2024 and the suspect were in Police custody undergoing interrogation and have as well made confessional statements.
The source said: “12 females between the ages of 13 to 19 years were rescued from their captors. The case is under investigation and the suspects will be charged to Court at the end of investigations”.