Emotions ran high at the Lagos State Police Command on Monday, June 15, when a 16-year-old girl, Chidinma, narrated how she was allegedly trafficked from Imo State to Lagos and forced into prostitution for four months, during which she was made to sleep with 30 men daily, beaten repeatedly, and denied payment.
The teenager, who said she was originally learning baking in Imo State, told journalists that a woman she trusted lured her to Lagos with the promise of a job.
According to the Delta State-born girl, the woman never told her the actual work she was coming to do, only saying she would serve in an office. Upon her arrival at a tall building inside Balogun market on Lagos Island, her madam removed her clothes, leaving her only in undergarments alongside other young ladies.
She recounted that they were told to stand by the door while men were dragged inside. She was given a blue drug that left her disoriented, leading to her sleeping with no fewer than 30 men daily, and sometimes up to 60 men in a single day.
She said the men paid between N5,000 and N10,000 per session, but she was usually given only N1,000 or N1,500 to buy food.
Any time she requested that the men use protection and they refused, they would report her to the madam, who would then drag her into a room and beat her with an iron rod until she bled, or punch her severely in the stomach despite knowing she had undergone a prior operation. She pointed to her left eye, noting that it had been punched so badly she could not see out of it for a week.
Her escape came after a particularly violent night when the madam slammed her head against a wall after she refused to sleep with more men due to physical pain. She managed to escape from a lodging, finding her way to Costain and then taking a bus to Surulere, where a popcorn vendor helped her reach the Bode Thomas Police Station.
The Divisional Police Officer immediately ordered her to be taken to the hospital for treatment, expressing surprise that she was only 15 years old despite looking older. The teenager added that other girls were still trapped there with their phones seized, and expressed her deep desire to return to her catering work.
Meanwhile, the woman accused of trafficking Chidinma, Princess Andrew, 28, denied the allegations. Also from Delta State, Andrew admitted she knew the teenager but insisted that the girl was aware of the nature of the work.
She claimed she works independently as a sex worker and does not manage anyone, asserting that she merely assisted the young woman by connecting her with accommodation. She further claimed the teenager lied about her age and would be turning 21 this year, adding that she knew her from Delta State when she was pregnant.
The Commissioner of Police for the Lagos State Police Command personally visited the building where the young girls were lodged in Balogun, accompanied by journalists. Briefing reporters, the CP explained that the illicit operation came to light after a good Samaritan rescued the severely injured victim wandering near Surulere and brought her to the Bode Thomas Police Station.
He stated that the syndicate specifically targets vulnerable minors between the ages of 13 and 15. While investigations indicate the cartel has trafficked about 30 girls in total, operatives have successfully arrested two suspects and rescued 13 underage girls.
