January 14, (THEWILL) — I recently came across a video showing dozens of young women seated on the bare floor of a gimcrack building.
They were being interrogated by an unidentified individual who named the location as the “MorningStar Hotel-Brothel” in Aguleri, Anambra State.
The interrogator, who spoke with a grave and sanctimonious baritone, appeared to be a law enforcement official.
He announced that the young women were “underage” commercial sex workers who had been trafficked from Ebonyi State.
While his associates barked orders at those on the floor, the man singled out three young women, forcing them to stand while he browbeat and interrogated them.
One of the girls, who appeared to be barely sixteen, spoke eloquently as she narrated how she had been trafficked from Ebonyi after being promised a better life in Anambra.
She explained that she had been unemployed at the time and saw the trip as an opportunity to secure a job and support her family.
Tragically, the trip was a ruse to lure her into sex work. She ended up at the brothel, where she was repeatedly raped by numerous clients.
She recounted being warned never to mention her “madam” to these men; when she attempted to escape, she was recaptured and forced to swear a ritual oath at a local shrine.
During the interrogation, the young woman standing next to her corroborated the story. Their mother, who was also present in the video, stated she had been searching for her daughter for months.
This is a tragically familiar scenario where minors and young adults are trafficked and forced into sex work, fueled by endemic poverty and lack of awareness. However, in this specific instance, my deepest outrage is directed at the men who recorded the video.
By publicly shaming these vulnerable young women, they subjected them to further mental abuse. These individuals—who appeared to be law enforcement or paramilitary vigilantes—committed an egregious act by humiliating victims in such a crass manner.
Victims of trafficking should be protected and counseled, not exploited as social media content. I call upon the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, to immediately order a full-scale investigation into this embarrassing debacle.
It is imperative that those responsible for this public humiliation are identified and sanctioned forthwith.
***Written by Ikemba C. Eze.
Ikemba C. Eze is the Deputy Editor of AFR Media
