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Underage Girls Rescued in Ogun State
Underage Girls Rescued in Ogun State
The story of a 14-year-old girl, a survivor of sex trafficking in Ogun State, is one that will leave you with a heavy heart. She was just a child, lured into prostitution with promises of a better life. Instead, she found herself trapped in a nightmare, forced to sleep with 10 to 12 men every day.
The girl, a JSS3 dropout from Akwa Ibom State, was trafficked into Ogun State on January 29, 2024. She was arrested by the Ogun State Amotekun Corps during a raid at the sex trafficking camp in Ifo local government area. Fifteen suspected sex workers and their boss, Idem Joy, were also arrested.
The victim’s story is a harrowing one. She was told she would work as a sales girl, but instead, she was forced into prostitution. She was given drugs to take before starting work, and her hair was cut off as part of a twisted ritual to scare her into compliance. “They did not tell me that this is what I will be doing; they only told me that I would be a sales girl when I arrive,” she said.
The girl’s account is a testament to the brutality and exploitation that victims of sex trafficking face. She was paid N20,000 per day, depending on the number of clients she had. But the true cost of her exploitation is immeasurable. As Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “Human trafficking is a stain on the conscience of our society. It fuels crime, corruption, and violence. It distorts our economies and harms our workers. And it violates the fundamental right of all people to be free”.
The raid that rescued the 14-year-old girl and others like her is a step in the right direction. But there is still much work to be done to combat sex trafficking and protect its victims. As we move forward, it’s essential that we remember the stories of survivors like this young girl and work towards creating a world where such atrocities are never allowed to happen again.
Here’s the girls confession:
