NSCDC uncovers prostitution recruitment centre in Edo

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has uncovered a prostitution recruitment settlement in Edo, the Edo Commander, Mr Makinde Ayinla, has said.

Ayinla, who made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Monday, said the settlement was in Uselu N’ Ahor in Uhunmwode Local Government Area.

He said operatives of the corps uncovered the settlement, near a police station after weeks of surveillance.

The commander said many of those rescued were teenagers from the north and middle-belt regions of the country.

He said a lady, who claimed to be in her mid-twenties, was, among five women rescued during the operation.

Ayinla advised the state government to engage security agents to clear the settlement, which he described as unhealthy for human habitation, to avoid the outbreak of an epidemic.

He said this would give impetus to the fight against child and human trafficking in the state.

The commander said the government’s initiative of introducing skills acquisition as a way of checking prostitution was a welcome development.

He, however, decried the attitude of some parents of abandoning their parental duties, noting that that such behaviour often put children at risk of being used for rituals or being kidnapped.

Some of the victims told NAN that they were from Benue and that their parents were unaware of their whereabouts.

They said they were brought to Edo by a lady, called `Manager’, who was currently on the run, and who promised them lucrative jobs in Benin.

They also alleged that the lady collected N30, 000 from each person as settlement fee to enable such person to operate on her own.

They further said that they paid additional N500 daily each as `loyalty fee’ to `Manager” from a daily income of N3, 000 to N4, 000.