- The RRS, Lagos State Police Command, has arrested a suspected human trafficker, Martha Edea, as she attempted to transport 2 teenage girls to Abidjan for prostitution
- The girls had been introduced to the suspect in Benin City, Edo state, by two women, Favour and Deborah
- The bubble burst when one of the victims became apprehensive on the way to Benin Republic, and alerted other passengers who then called the police
A suspected human trafficker, Martha Edea, has been arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, while attempting to transport two teenage girls through Lagos to Abidjan in Ivory Coast for commercial sex work.
The development was made public in a mail exclusively sent to NAIJ.com.
READ ALSO: 13-year-old girl allegedly regains freedom from Emir’s palace after abduction for forced marriage
Edea, 30, had reportedly traveled with the girls from Benin City, Edo state, before being nabbed in Lagos.
She stated that she herself had been introduced to the sex trade after being trafficked to Ivory Coast by one Mariam.
The trafficking suspect pictured (center) with her two victims (Photo credit: RRS)
According to Edea, who is a mother of two, she had slaved for months in the West African country, before being able to pay back her custodian.
She stated: "I worked for three months to pay Mariam about 300,000 Cefa ( N180,000) to balance her for my transportation into Ivory Coast and also for connecting me."
Edea claimed that she had been convinced to come into Edo state to recruit other girls for prostitution, after her ‘connector’ had abandoned her in Ivory Coast and traveled to Spain.
It was in Benin that she eventually met two women, Favour and Deborah, who brought her in contact with her victims.
She stated: "Favour took me to one Frances Bamidele who she said is her friend and will like to be taken out of the country for prostitution.”
Speaking to policemen, the 19-year0old victim, Frances, stated that she had agreed to follow Edea, after hearing about how lucrative prostitution was in Abidjan.
The suspected trafficker then secured her next victim, one Elo Etim, an 18-year-old, through Deborah.
She stated: "I paid both Favour and Deborah a sum of N10,000 each for helping me get a girl each for the journey.
"I also met with Elo’s mother. I told her what her daughter was about to embark on in Abidjan and she agreed to it, she also prayed for her and wished her good luck."
The suspect met her Waterloo however, during the journey to the Republic of Benin from Lagos, with her victims.
The 19-year-old Frances had reportedly begun inquiring from Edea, about her welfare and if she would return to Nigeria for Christmas.
Frances stated: "I asked Aunty Martha how much we will have to pay her for the trip and she disclosed I and Elo will work for her till we are able to pay a sum of 300,000 Cefa (N180,000) to gain our freedom in Abidjan.
“Then I told her I wanted to go back home from where we were and this led to an argument which attracted other passengers on the bus.
The argument made the other passengers in the bus become suspicious and called the attention of the Police when we got to Berger Bus Stop in Lagos. We were all arrested and taken to RRS Headquaters in Alausa, Ikeja."
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) arraigned a certain Rita Ani, before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.
The 25-year-old Abu Dhabi-based lady was arraigned alongside her elder sister, Ngozi; Ozigi Abdulkarim and Princewill James, on a ten-count charge bordering on conspiracy and human trafficking.
Signs you need to go for an HIV/AIDS test ASAP - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng