Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Monday Okpebholo has raided some popular ashawo joints in Benin City, the state capital and made arrests with one of the arrested suspects insisting she’s not a commercial sex worker, that, she only came out to buy or get something for herself around Ihama area at night when the taskforce led by the Edo State Migration Agency, EDMA raided the area in continuation of the 34 persons arrested earlier in the month inline with the Edo State Law on human trafficking and Irregular Migration.
The suspect who protested her innocence as seen in the video made available on Tuesday by one of the popular TV Broadcasters in the state, Deborah Ivie Ogbeifun, was forced into the taskforce vehicle but she continued to protest her innocence, insisting, she only came out to buy something.
The leader of the Taskforce who accused her of being stubborn ordered his men to take her away. It is not clear if she was detained or the Taskforce set her free as the helpless lady was seen calling her boyfriend and apparently wailing.
While she was inside the vehicle, one of the Taskforce asked her the whereabouts of her bag or small handbag commercial sex workers do hold that do contain some few clothes they used for exchange and make-ups, the arrested suspect who appeared to be provoked, raised her voice on the Taskforce officer that she does not have, that, she only came out to buy food.
Earlier in February, 34 persons were arrested and paraded by the Edo State Migration Agency, EDMA when the agency bursted joints of the underaged commercial sex workers who were said to be people who came into the city from other states in Nigeria.
It would be recalled that in 2022, we had reported that the then Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki has began the mass arrest of street prostitutes often referred to as Ashawo or night workers.
A campaign poster made available to the public before the mass arrest commenced in some major locations around the Benin metropolis in July 2022, indicated that the government wants the commercial sex workers chased out of the Ihama, Sakpoba, GRA, Sapele road, Ugbowo road, Dawnson, Upper Mission Extension, and Ekewan road in the state capital.
Also early this month, as part of the Edo State Government strategy to strengthen irregular migration laws and curb the menace of human trafficking, Edo State Migration Agency held a meeting with Hotelers Operators in the State.
Details of the meeting as contained in the press release made available by the Public Relations Unit of the Edo State Migration Agencu The Director General, Honorable Lucky Agazuma received hotelier operator in his office in-line with the ongoing sensitization on the need to get them profiled
In his remark, the DG stated that “the invitation was to enlighten them about the menace of human trafficking and irregular with the new law of the Edo State Migration Agency so as to be guided in their operations because some of the hotilers might be doing what they don’t know is a crime.”
He noted that “the Agency is collaborating with key stakeholders in the state and outside the state to fight the menace of human trafficking and irregular migration and redeem the beautiful name of Edo people.”
Furthermore, the DG “gave a strong warning to those involve in human exploitation, organ harvesting, sexual exploitation, and child trafficking to desist from it and if found guilty the trafficker risk jail term and the property will be confiscated. He further stressed that the state government has set out strategies to profile brothels across the state to have an idea of their operation, and it is a serious offence if denied access when carrying out investigations.”
He therefore informed the hotilers to ensure strict adherence to the laws and collaborate with the Agency using the See Something, Say Something, and Sorted Out Method (SSS).
In his closing remarks, the DG thanked those that adhere to the invitation and encourage others to make themselves available for profiling to ensure strict adherence to the law and together fight against human trafficking and irregular migration is achieved.