The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a prostitutes’ recruitment centre in Edo State, Commander Mr. Makinde Ayinla has said.
Ayinla, who spoke yesterday to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, said the settlement was in Uselu N’ Ahor in Uhunmwode Local Government.
He said the corps’ operatives 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.
He said a woman, who claimed to be in her mid-twenties, was among the five rescued.
Ayinla advised the state government to engage security agents to clear the settlement, which he described as unhealthy for human habitation, to avoid an epidemic.
He said this would give impetus to the fight against child and human trafficking.
The commander said the government’s initiative of introducing skill acquisition as a way of checking prostitution was a welcome development.
He decried the attitude of parents neglecting their duties, noting that such behaviour put children at risk of being used for ritual or being kidnapped.
Some of the victims told NAN that they were from Benue State and that their parents were unaware of their whereabouts.
They said they were brought to Edo State by a lady called ‘Manager’, now on the run, who promised them lucrative jobs in Benin.
The victims alleged that the lady collected N30, 000 from each person as settlement fee, to enable such persons operate on their own.
They said they paid additional N500 daily each as ‘loyalty fee’ to ‘Manager’ from a daily income of N3, 000 to N4, 000.
NSCDC, Kwara State Command, has deployed more than 1,000 personnel to hotels to arrest hoteliers engaging nude dancers.
The Commandant, Mr. Wasiu Adeyinka-Ayinla, in an interview yesterday with News agency of Nigeria (NAN) in llorin, said the personnel – intelligence officers – were already at their duty posts.
“Our intelligence officers are in hotels day and night to apprehend hoteliers who engage in strip dance,” he said.
Adeyinka-Ayinla said the corps collaborated with other agencies to carry out the operation.
He warned hoteliers against keeping guests with questionable characters.
The commandant re-affirmed the commitment of the corps to fight pipeline vandalism and other acts capable of tarnishing the image of the state and Nigeria.
Kwara State House of Assembly summoned hotel proprietors on August 15 over allegation of nude dances in hotels.
The complaint was lodged to the assembly by religious leaders.
