3 Brothels Shut Down Over Engagement In Underaged Prostitution In Port Harcourt
Three brothels namely Royal, Cool breeze phase 1 and 2 located at Azikiwe street Mile 2,Diobu, Port Harcourt have been shut down following raids conducted by joint a team of Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) over alleged engagement in underage prostitution.
Over five trucks and ten patrol vans of armed security personnel had stormed Azikiwe street in the morning hours of Saturday and rescued fifty underage girls who were brought from different parts of the country in the guise of teaching them trade but later forced into prostitution at the brothels while five suspects were arrested.
Investigation by our reporter showed that the rescued underaged girls worked under a ‘madam’ who collects money from prospective male clients before they have sex with the minors.
The investigation also revealed that the underage girls sleep with at least fifteen men in a day. The underage girls do not have access to phone and they are not allowed to come outside the brothels for a period of 12 months after which they are ‘settled’ by their ‘Madam’.
Meanwhile, scores of male clients who normally come to patronize major brothels stormed the area on Sunday evening as usual but were frustrated and stranded as there was no commercial sex worker to patronize.
Some male clients told our reporter that they would look for other alternatives since the brothels where they can get SEX at affordable price have been shut down.
The Information officer of Nigeria Navy Ship Pathfinder, Lt. Cdr Richard Iginla told news men that the underage girls and the arrested recruiters would be handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation and possible prosecution.
In the same vein, the NAPTIP Commander in Rivers State, Nwa-Amaka Ikediashi told newsmen that the underage girls would be counselled to ensure they do not return to prostitution while assuring that justice will be served on the matter.
Recall that Police detectives from Iwofe Police Division in the month of August,2020 had raided one of the brothels at Azikiwe street rescuing underage girls and arresting those who recruited them.