A human trafficking victim, Love John, has revealed how she slept with more than 400 men in less than five months in the Sango Ota area of Ogun State.
Love, 22, and her 23-year-old sister, Happiness, were lured into prosti-tution sometime in January by their eldest sister, Mary. The lady also tricked a cousin, Joy Lawrence, 25, promising the three ladies that she could give them jobs that would help them make a decent living.
By the time they discovered that they had been trafficked, the victims said they had become trapped.
Mary and the hotel owner, Mrs. Akpojaro Rose, an indigene of Warri, Delta State, have been nabbed.
According to Punch, Joy Lawrence and another victim fled the hotel on Monday when they could no longer bear the pain they were subjected to.
Lawrence was said to have been brought to the Lagos zonal headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service, which then stormed the hotel and rescued other victims.
It was learnt that the ladies collected between N500 and N700 per sex, paid N200 per day for hotel rates, and made about N340,000 in savings within the period.
Narrating her ordeal, Love told Punch that she did not have any formal education because their father died when they were toddlers. She disclosed that she slept with an average of four men a day.
She said, “I was learning tailoring in the village. My sister told me she could help me get a job in Lagos; she didn’t tell me that it was prostitution I was coming to do. After we got to Lagos, she said we should do this (prostitution) job so we can make money to be able to finish my craft as a tailor. I sleep with about four men in a day and each of them pay me at least N500.”
Her elder sister, Happiness, also said she was not aware she had been trafficked until she arrived in Lagos and was introduced to prostitution.
“I didn’t go to school and I have not learnt any trade. I came to Lagos a few months ago. My sister didn’t tell me this was what I was coming to do in Lagos. She said it was a good job,” she said.
Lawrence, who fled on Monday, said she was told she would be trading when she left their hometown in Ogoja, Cross River State.
“I ran away because I didn’t like the work. I don’t want to do it again. I never knew this was the job.”
Mary Confesses
She said she did not want to bring her relatives into the trade, adding that she gave in to pressure when they kept asking her to take them to Lagos.
She said she did not want to bring her relatives into the trade, adding that she gave in to pressure when they kept asking her to take them to Lagos.
She said, “I came to Lagos with a friend in 2014 and my friend introduced me to this job. We were first using a hotel called Happiness Hotel before we moved to Morning Star Hotel in Sango Ota.
“When I traveled to the village, my sisters started disturbing me that they wanted to follow me to Lagos to go and work. When they continued to disturb me, I decided to take them with me; but I didn’t tell them I was into prostitution. I told my mother I was working in a beer parlour.
“Each of us makes N2,500 to N3,000 daily. We sleep with an average of three to four men and they pay between N500 and N700.”
The 32-year-old Mary said from January till May 16 when they were arrested, she had saved N340,000 for the three girls.
She said she wondered why they were arrested after she had settled some policemen with N150,000.
The arrested hotel owner speaks
Mrs. Akpojaro Rose said, “I warned Mary that the girls were too young, but she didn’t listen to me. I have 15 rooms in my hotel and I have seven girls, who were paying me N200 every day. If I had children of their age, I will not allow them do this.”
Mrs. Akpojaro Rose said, “I warned Mary that the girls were too young, but she didn’t listen to me. I have 15 rooms in my hotel and I have seven girls, who were paying me N200 every day. If I had children of their age, I will not allow them do this.”
Mary and Mrs. Akpojaro Rose would be prosecuted.
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