RIVERS STATE: Group Uncovers Use of Under-aged Girls as Prostitutes
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by Pearl HaroldA Non Governmental Organization (NGO), Center for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign has raised alarm that there is an upsurge in child’s prostitution in brothels operating in the State.
According to the NGO’s Executive Secretary, Prince Wiro, the group had unraveled how older female sex workers go to remote villages outside Rivers State to lure girls between the ages of 13 and 17 years in to prostitution.
“Last week, Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign had unraveled how old female commercial sex workers who seems to be less attractive to make customers go to remote villages outside Rivers State to bring underage girls between 13-17 under the guise of training them in school or use as house maids” the NGO revealed.
The group also stated that after the girls have been brought to Rivers State, the old commercial sex workers administer an oath on them to instil fear in order not to marrate their ordeal to anyone.
The NGO further said, “When a male customer comes to patronize the underaged girls, the old female sex workers, referred to as ‘Madam’ bargain with the male customers and collect money from them while the underaged girls go to sleep with the customer”.
Wiro also noted that the ‘Madams’ feed ,clothe and cater for other needs, and use cultists to closely monitor them in order for the girls not to escape.
The NGO also revealed that the girls sleep with over 10 men in a day while the madam collects the money, adding the during the apprenticeship period, apart from the food and clothes, the girls get nothing.
“The girls serve the madam in that manner for 12 to 16 months before they are freed and the madam goes back to the remote villages to deceive parents of other underaged girls and bring them to Port Harcourt,” Wiro stated.
Explaining how the group uncovered the ring, Wiro disclosed that he and his team disguised as male customers in order to get information from the underaged girls.
Wiro, who expressed sadness over the plight of the girls, called on the Rivers State Government to beam its searchlight on the operations of brothels with a view to curb the menace.
Corroborating the NGO, the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Person also expressed concern over the use of underaged girls as apprentice in commercial sex business.
