The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters (NAPTIP) has initiated an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding a viral video depicting teenage girls allegedly trafficked to Ghana for prostitution.
In the video uploaded on by Pastor Okezie, the young girls who are about eight claimed that they were lured into Ghana by a man, who happened to be a brother to one of them and he ended up using them as “money-making machines.”
The girls are six years old and below. They alleged further that all the money they were making from the prostitution had been taken away from them by their traffickers.
When SaharaReporters contacted the Spokesman of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Vincent Adekoye for comment, he said the agency was aware of the situation.
He promised that the agency had started investigation into the matter and would respond to all the demands made by the girls in the video.
He wrote: “The Agency has commenced full scale investigations following the directive of the DG to ascertain the location of victims, any contact number and other details that will aid our swift intervention towards rescuing them. The Agency has also opened discussions with relevant partners in Ghana on the matter.
“NAPTIP is seriously disturbed by the video and shall do everything within its mandate to respond to their demands and also bring their trafficker to justice. It solicits useful information from all stakeholders on the matter.”
In May, SaharaReporters had reported how the Edo Zonal command of NAPTIP arrested a fake Reverend sister over the alleged trafficking of 38 children in Delta State.
The suspect, Ikejimba Maryvianney (alias Oluchi) 40 years old, and one Chidera, now at large, came to meet the parents and persuaded them to allow their children to follow them to their orphanage homes and that they would be given better care.
The children, it was learnt, were handed over to the suspects by their parents at a farm community in Enugu-Awka camp by Monastery, Ilah, Delta State.
Maryvianney was reportedly arrested by the NAPTIP following a tip-off.
When contacted, the NAPTIP zonal commander in Benin, Nduka Nwanwenne, who confirmed the incident said the suspect was in custody.
He said the suspect claimed to be trained in Ghana as a Reverend sister while their headquarters was in the Philippines.
