Police operatives in Lagos have rescued three teenagers from forced prostitution in the Ikorodu area of the state.
The spokesman for the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the development in a statement on Friday, said the girls were rescued by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) during a patrol exercise at the Itamaga area of Ikorodu on January 8.
The statement read: “Officers of the Rapid Response Squad have rescued three teenagers from prostitution at the Itamaga area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
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“The girls were rescued on January 8, 2023, at about 0600hrs when a patrol team noticed their suspicious movements within the area. Upon questioning, the girls revealed that they were fleeing the custody of a mistress who brought them from Akwa Ibom to Lagos under the guise of employment.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims, Saviour aged 14, Bright aged 13, and Deborah aged 12 (surnames withheld) upon reaching Lagos were locked by their mistress (still at large) in a hotel and starved for days as a means to force them into accepting prostitution. Contact has been established with the victims’ families.
“The Commander RRS, Saheed Olayinka Egbeyemi, has in line with the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Abiodun Alabi, transferred the victims to the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Command for further investigation.”