OPERATIVES of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Katsina State Command, have 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 three suspected traffickers were arrested inside a prominent hotel located in Katsina township, where three victims of human trafficking were rescued during the sting.
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 notes 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.
The rescued victims were found inside a small room located within the hotel complex, while the traffickers were in another well-furnished room within the same compound, relishing the proceeds of the exploitation.
Reacting to the development, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, expressed concern over the activities of some hotels and centres across the country that harbour victims of human trafficking.
She said the hotel in question would be sanctioned in line with the provisions of the anti-trafficking law, as their actions are unacceptable, contravene the law, and subjugate human dignity.
“I wish to commend the operatives of NAPTIP in Katsina for the raid and rescue of the victims.”
Commending operatives of NAPTIP in the Katsina office, she added, “Their stories (the victims) are painful and sad. They were deceived, recruited, trafficked, and forced into prostitution. While they faced horror every day from prostitution, their traffickers were somewhere within the same hotel, feeding fat on the proceeds of the exploitation.
“It is also important to reiterate our earlier warning about operators of hotels aiding and abetting the exploitation of victims of human trafficking in their facilities. We have commenced a legal process to determine the next execution order for the hotel. The law shall definitely take its course.”
Recall that the DG had directed operatives of the agency across the country a few weeks ago to step up surveillance and intelligence-gathering activities within their jurisdictions to address the reported cases of inter-state recruitment and trafficking.
She also directed the operatives to beam searchlights on the activities of some hotels, drinking joints, and motor parks in all the state capitals to curtail the activities of criminal elements who operate as members of human trafficking gangs in the country.
Speaking after the operation, one of the victims (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.
“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,” she said.
The victim further lamented, “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.