Operatives of the Edo State Command of the Nigeria Police on Thursday rescued six girls and a male who were allegedly being trafficked to Cote d’ Ivoire and Libya.
The victims are Innocent Godfrey (male) 20, Success Okogbowa 17, Gift Osabuohien 18, Endurance Edigho 18, Gift Edigho, 17, Oghayero 19 and Happiness Oliver 16.
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The girls, who disguised as Muslims by wearing hijab, were intercepted by the police at Isihor police checkpoint, Benin City on the Benin-Lagos road.
The victims are from Delta, Edo and Enugu states, but all residents in Edo State.
Addressing journalists, the State police commissioner, Philip Aliyu Ogbadu, said the police were able to intercept the victims following an intelligence report.
“They are minors, six girls and one boy. On interrogation, we found out they were being trafficked to Cote d’ Ivoire by one Godfrey.
“It is a case of trafficking. They would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffick in Person (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation.”
In an interview, Innocent Godfrey said the journey was arranged by his sister for someone in Libya.
He said, “I am not the one conveying them. I am going to Libya while they are going to Cote d’ Ivoire. We were arrested at the checkpoint in Isihor.
“I am not the one trafficking the girls. They asked me to pay N200,000, but the person that is trafficking the girls is in Libya and he paid money to sponsor the girls”.
One of the girls, Endurance Edigho, said they were recruited by Godfrey’s sister at a birthday party of one of their friends.
She said, “She asked if I would like to travel out and that the work that is available is cleaner, house-help and prostitution. I told him I will do house-help work and she then asked me to join them.
“We went to the person that takes us on the journey and stayed there for three days.
“We were arrested on Thursday at a police checkpoint. While searching our vehicle, they found Indian hemp on one of the boys in the vehicle and took us to the police station.”
