The Lagos State Police Command has rescued 12 teenage girls allegedly trafficked and forced into prostitution in apartments located within the bustling Idumota area of Lagos Island.

The operation, led by the Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, resulted in the arrest of a 28-year-old woman, Princess Andrew, who is accused of luring girls aged between 13 and 15 years into commercial sex work under false pretences.

According to the police, the suspect allegedly recruited the girls from various states outside Lagos with promises of legitimate employment, only to compel them into prostitution upon arrival in the state.

The syndicate was uncovered after a 16-year-old victim escaped from the apartment and reported her ordeal to the police on June 11, 2026.

Speaking on the operation, Fatai said the breakthrough came after a Good Samaritan brought the teenager to the police station in Bode Thomas, Surulere.

“We busted the prostitution syndicate following a report of a girl who was brought to our station in Bode Thomas, Surulere, where she was working as a prostitute,” he said.

“The girl was brought in by a good samaritan who found her lying in a pool of blood, with blood gushing from her nose. She was taken to the station, where she recounted how a woman brought her from Delta State to Lagos with the promise of a catering job.

“However, upon arrival, the woman allegedly introduced her to prostitution and told her she would have to serve for six months before gaining her freedom. According to the victim, she had sexual relations with about 30 men during her ordeal.

She sustained injuries to her private parts and was beaten and thrown out when she refused to attend to customers on a particular day. She wandered from Lagos Island to Surulere before she was rescued.”

Responding to questions on the number and ages of the rescued girls, the Commissioner of Police (CP) said: “The victims are between 13 and 15 years old. The girl informed us that there were about 30 girls involved, but we currently have 12 in our custody.

“The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Bode Thomas took her to the hospital for treatment. The suspect has allegedly been operating in the area for a long time. This has been her business, but she ran out of luck because we decided to investigate the matter. Investigations are ongoing and will lead to the prosecution of the principal suspect.”

Narrating her experience, the 16-year-old victim, Chinasa (surname withheld), from Imo State, said, “I was learning baking in Delta State after leaving Imo. The woman who brought me to Lagos told me she had secured a job for me where I would earn N100, 000 monthly and asked me to come along with a friend.

“I only realised it was prostitution when she asked me to remove my clothes. She gave me a pair of pants and a singlet and instructed me to lure any man who entered the room. When I could not do it, she allegedly gave me a drug that turns the tongue blue (Rohypnol). After taking it, I lost consciousness and later found myself taking men into the room.

“When I told her I was tired and wanted to return to Delta State, she said I had to work longer to repay my transportation fare. I told her I was tired of sleeping with many men, but she insisted I must stay for six months. She beat me so badly that I could barely see for a week.”

Asked how much she charged, Chinasa said, “I attended to men from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. She rarely gave me money for food, paying me only between N1, 000 and N1, 500 while keeping the proceeds to care for her children.

“I charged between N3, 000 and N10,000. Sometimes, four men would sleep with me at the same time, and I received no medical treatment afterward.

“Some of the men did not use protection, but I could not complain because my madam would beat me if they reported me. Most of the men were traders in the market.

“I spent four months with her. There were seven girls directly working under her. Later, she transferred me to her sister, known as Sugar, who continued the maltreatment.”

On how she escaped, the mother of one said, “A customer requested my services overnight and brought along another man. When I returned home, my madam started beating me. I ran away and boarded a vehicle to Costain.

“A man noticed my condition and asked what had happened. He wanted me to follow him, but while we were under the bridge, a woman approached me, asked what happened and took me to the police station. The DPO immediately took me to the hospital.”

Speaking on the allegations, the suspected trafficker said, “I am also a prostitute there. I knew the girl in Delta State when she was pregnant. She contacted me after returning from Ghana with another person. She already had two children.

“I introduced her to another woman who operated a different room. They had a disagreement, and she was beaten. I intervened on her behalf. I did not collect any money from her. I never told her she was coming for a catering job; she knew she was coming for prostitution.”

Asked when she started operating there and how much she earned daily, the suspect said, “I began working there as a prostitute in February 2026 and pay N10, 000 daily to the owner of the premises. On some days, I make about N30, 000. I charge between N5, 000 and N10, 000 per client, while overnight services range from N20, 000 to N30, 000.” (Guardian)

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