Head, Press and Public Relations (NAPTIP), Mr Josiah Emerole, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the suspect, Rita Chinyere Ani, belongs to a network of Nigerian traffickers based in Abu Dhabi and engaging Nigerian girls in international prostitution in that country.
The other five are Rita’s elder sister, Ngozi Stella Nnamani Ani (A.K.A Princess) (31 years old from Enugu State), Ozigi Abdulkarim (32 years old from Kogi State), Princewill James (34years old from Bayelsa State), Benson Emmanuel (32years old from Rivers State) and Philip Joshua( A.K.A OJ) (32 years old from Bayelsa State).
The suspects were arrested by operatives of NAPTIP in two operations in Gwarimpa, Abuja and Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Emerole disclosed that Rita, who recently returned home to perform her traditional marriage rites preparatory to moving to the United Kingdom with her fiancé, was arrested in Ibadan by the newly established NAPTIP- Rapid Response Squad (NAPTIP-RRS).
The lid of these suspects was blown recently when one of the victims returned from Abu Dhabi after 4 months of forced prostitution by Rita and under very excruciating conditions.
The victim while narrating her ordeal to NAPTIP officials, said she was dehumanised including flogging and the insertion of hot boiling ring into her vagina when she does not make enough money a day and forceful collection of the proceeds of the prostitution from her by Rita.
The Victim (Name withheld) who is 19years old was recruited from Gwarimpa, Abuja by her ex-boyfriend Ozigi Abdulkarim, Ngozi Stella Ani and Princewill James for onward transfer to Rita Ani in UAE.
The NAPTIP spokesman said suspects arrested had prepared the victim’s travel documents, took her to Ogbomoso, Oyo State where fetish oath was administered on her before the journey.
According to the statement, Benson Emmanuel and Philip Joshua are associates of the other four and played one role or the other in the movement of the victim.
Emerole, said while investigations are going on, the suspects have made very useful statements concerning the case. Chinyere also confessed to having more girls working for her in the UAE.
He aded the suspects would soon be charged to Court.
Reacting to this development, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli commended the operatives for breaking into the network and stressed that no human trafficker would go unpunished in Nigeria as “the Agency is more than ready to smoke them out where ever they may be hiding”.
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