Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the police, on Sunday night, stormed Davis Hotel, Lugbe, Abuja, where underage girls were allegedly kept for prostitution.
The agency’s director of investigation, Josiah Emerole, said three girls were rescued while 20 suspects were arrested over alleged forced prostitution.
Some of the girls pleaded innocence, saying that they were arrested while running errands.
“Part of our job is to rescue underage persons who are being exploited and arrest suspects.
“Davis Hotel has been in our radar for some time and we have rescued some underage girls from the facility in the past.
“The NAPTIP Act frowns at facilities where young girls are harboured and exploited for prostitution.
“When we profiled them, we will keep those we identify as victims in our facility for rehabilitation, while the suspects would be handed over to our legal department for prosecution,” Emerole said.
He advised parents and guardians to take interest in the movement and activities of their children and wards and protect them from being exploited in any way.
