By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Underage sex slaves who were rescued in a brothel in Awka, Anambra State have confessed to paying a total sum of forty thousand naira to their madam for her to give them out to men.

The victims, between the ages of 15 to 25 years-old were also mandated to return the sum of N10,000 to N15,000 each night while each man they slept with paid them about N1,000 which they kept for them.

Narrating their ordeal, the victims said they were brought to Awka by one Ifeoma and Chika from their place in Izza, Ebonyi State on the promise of securing jobs for them, but they were ultimately forced into sex hawking.

One of them said: “The women who brought us to the brothel, seized our phones and other belongings before handing us over to another woman called Ezenwannyi who notified us that before we will be released, we must bring the sum of N150,000 or serve her for a period of one year.

“We were able to use a whistleblowers phone to get across to our family and the whistle blower in turn notified the Women Affairs ministry who with the help of the police bursted the brothel.”

One of the victims’ parents, Mrs Uchechi Friday said immediately her daughter got missing, she lodged a complaint at the Police station in Abakaliki.

“I was shocked when I got a call from my daughter which made me to seek help from the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare,” she said.

Uchechi hailed the Commissioner for her prompt response, even as he called on other parents to always be at alert of their children’s welfare and whereabout.

In her reaction, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ify Obinabo restated government’s resolve in ending all forms of child kidnap, trafficking and sexual slavery in the state.

She warned hotel owners to desist from using underage girls to run their businesses or be ready to face the law.

Obinabo further assured that the case which had already received attention of Governor Chukwuma Soludo would not be treated with levity.

While recounting how her Ministry was able to apprehend the suspect in collaboration with the Police after a tip off from a whistle blower, the Commissioner added that she had since contacted the victims’ family members after taking them to hospital for medical examination and possible treatment.

She added: “The case has since been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka for comprehensive investigation and consequently charged to court.”