Arrest 83 other suspects in one month
Chiemelie Ezeobi
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested one Chinonso Okoronkwo, a prostitute, whose alleged stock in trade was to lure underage female school children to a hotel in Surulere and use them as sex slaves. The suspect, who was yesterday paraded at the state police command in Ikeja, Lagos, was nabbed following a raid by the police at the hotel where she operates.
Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the suspect’s specialty was to lure innocent girls to a hotel in Surulere and use them as sex slaves.
He said: “Among the 84 suspects we arrested in one month is a professional prostitute, who went about picking teenagers and forcing them prostitution.”
However, the suspect denied all the allegations, adding that although she was a prostitute, she had no hand in luring the underage girls to the hotel as sex slaves.
She said: “I lost my husband so things were difficult for me and my children. When I told one of my friends about my predicament, she brought me to Lagos. You know that we were staying in Port-Harcourt.
“My friend took me to the hotel where she introduced me to the management of the hotel. They gave me a room where I hustle sleep with men and they pay me money. I am just trying to survive.
“As for the secondary school girls, I don’t know anything about them. I used to see them in the hotel. They would come in school uniforms and change to mufti.
“After sleeping with customers, they change back to their uniforms. I don’t know the arrangement between them and the hotel management. I was arrested in company with others when the police raided the hotel. “Others have been released and I don’t know why the police are still keeping me. I want to beg the police and journalists not to expose me as I am hiding here and I don’t want people to know what I am doing for a living.”
On the total arrests made within one month in the state Owoseni said, the suspects were nabbed for cultism, armed robbery and rape, amongst other crimes.
He said: “40 were picked up for cultism and street fights,most of them are members of the Aiye and Eiye confranternities.
“Out of 44 others, some are armed robbery suspects, three are suspected rapists, amongst other criminal offences.
“I want to let you know that 26 of the suspects have been arraigned in the court and three armed robbers died during exchange of gun duel with the police.
“10 different weapons and 208 rounds of live ammunition and 12 cars were recovered from the suspect.” The police commissioner said the suspects would soon be charged to the court while efforts were being made to arrest other members of the different gangs.
