The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) Rivers State, has denied receiving the underaged girls used for prostitution, who were rescued from a brothel at Azikiwe street, Mile 2 Diobu, Port Harcourt.
In an interview with our correspondent, Nwamaka Ikediashi, Head of NAPTIP Rivers State, said Police Command Rivers State did not hand over the rescued girls to the Agency.
She explained that they heard about the incident and arrest on the news but no victim or suspect was handed over to NAPTIP.
The NAPTIP State Head revealed that she visited the Commissioner of Police on Tuesday 9 August, to discuss the matter with him and the Commissioner of Police CP Friday Eboka, had told her that is like the case has been charged to court.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign Rivers State has tasked the Rivers State Police Command to disclose the status of the case involving the rescued underaged girls forced into prostitution and the arrest of suspects in a brothel at Azikiwe street, Mile 2 Diobu PortHarcourt, last Saturday by operatives of Rumulomeni Police Division Aker, Iwofe Road, Obio Akpor local government area.
State Chairman of the Group, IK Alexander, said members of the organization went to Magistrate Court in Loco Port Harcourt, on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th August and did not see such matter in court following the information gotten from the State NAPTIP Head that the Commissioner of Police, CP Eboka Friday had told her the case is likely to have been charged to court.
Alexander called on the Police to make known the particular court the matter was charged to, as it is possible her group members did not go to the actual magisterial district where the suspects were arraigned.
He, however, noted that it is also important for the Police to disclose to the court the suspects were arraigned considering the interest of the public in the case.
The group equally demanded to know the state of the underaged girls if they were handed over to the Rivers State Government or reunited with their parents while calling on the State Government to take adequate steps in partnering with NAPTIP, Police and other stakeholders to get the state rid of the menace of forcing underaged girls into prostitution in brothels.
