The Gender Unit of the Nigerian Police Force Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has raided Ignobis Hotels, Gado Nasco Road in Kubwa, for alleged abuse and endangerment of minors.
It was learned that an Investigation Police Officer, Inspector Ossai Ojobo, alongside officials of the Social Development Secretarial (SDS), FCT Administration, and representatives of a non-governmental organisation, carried out the operation on Friday.
After the raid, the Hotel Manager, Akbueze Chidi, and a restaurant operator in the hotel, Priscilla Abuyah, were arrested and taken to the Force CID for questioning and further investigation.
Earlier, the SDS had received a petition from an NGO, Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN), alleging that the hotel was harbouring minors and exposing them to sexual exploitation.
The SDS Officer in charge of the case, Joy Omokivie, said that the SDS channelled the petition to the Gender Unit of the Force CID to investigate the matter.
Omokivie added that the hotel was classified as a brothel by residents, where young girls, including underaged girls, were being brought in for sex.
She said that in the petition, HRAN had alleged that a 12-year-old minor and her younger brother, 4, were staying at the hotel with a woman, purported to be their mother.
Omokivie said after an investigation was carried out, the 12-year-old girl was rescued and is currently in the custody of the Social Welfare Department, “while the young boy is still with the mother.”
According to her, the raid was part of an ongoing investigation to determine the veracity of the allegations and, if found to be true, rescue the minors and prosecute the culprits.
