Some members of a syndicate, which specialised in sending Nigerian girls to Dubai in United Arab Emirate (UAE) for pros.titution have been arrested by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Investigation shows that such girls are made to strip na.ked and their nudity videotaped which is later used to blackmail them. The syndicate is behind two videos which went viral on the social media recently.
The videos showed two girls, stark na.ked, promising a woman, rolling the tape that they would never run away with her money. They also took oaths that calamitous events would befall them if they failed to keep to their promise.
Addressing journalists at NAPTIP Lagos, Office, Ikeja, Assistant Director, Head, Press and Public Relations, Mr Josiah Emerole, said the agency was already working with Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and an international agency to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate in Dubai. He noted that five suspected ‘madams’ had been arrested in Nigeria.
Emerole listed those arrested as Blessing Gabriel (25), who is the prime suspect, Precious Ejiro Owoh (29), Rose Gabriel (25), Priscilla aka Prisca Effiong Bassey (33) and Terry Homuere Smooth (38). He said: “Early August 2015, the media, especially the social media, was awash with nu.de visuals of two of our citizens, Ann and Chisom, filmed and uploaded by some of our unpatriotic citizens engaged in trafficking of girls from Nigeria to Dubai, the United Arab Emirate for se.xual exploitation.
“The nu.de visuals which caused some uproar within many circles in Nigeria and raised questions among our international partners showed the two girls being forced to swear to an oath of allegiance separately while nu.de. They were made to claim that they came to Dubai on their own volition to engage in prostitution and ready to obey their ‘madams’ without reporting to anybody.
“The women that filmed the video threatened to upload the nude visuals if the girls did not act accordingly. The blackmail videos are part of the Dubai syndicate’s control mechanism which also includes oath taking, and confiscation of travel documents to ensure obedience and submission.”