Police Arrest Teenage Prostitutes

In a bid to control the influx of underaged girls who troop to Kuramo Beach for prostitution, the police at the Bar Beach Police Division, Victoria Island, Lagos at the weekend arrested five of them whose ages range between 11 and 12 years.

Police investigation revealed that the teenage prostitutes were arrested inside a container cabin being used for short time sex and managed by one man simply called John.

The owner of the container was said to have lured the teenage girls from states in the south-west to Lagos on the pretence of giving them jobs, but later forced them into prostitution.

Police investigations also revealed that some of the suspects had earlier been arrested and given money by the police to go back to their respective villages, but they came back to Kuramo Beach within 48 hours.

Those arrested include Ayo Oloko, 12, from Ogbomosho, Oyo State; Debora Mifolasere, 11, from Ogbomosho, Oyo State; Favour Michael, 11, Ogun State; Bose Joseph, 12 and Mariam Tobi, 12 from Modakeke, Osun State.

In her confession to the police, Mariam Tobi, 12 said: “I am an apprentice tailor and I lost my mother and father at a tender age. I was brought to Kuramo Beach by one John, the owner of the container we are using for short time sex on the excuse that he would give me a job, but he later introduced me to prostitution.

“I have aborted three pregnancies since I was brought here. The container owner, John, is milking us dry. For example, if any customer pays us N1,000 for short time, John will remove N400 from it. If we are paid N2,000 for a day break, he will deduct N500 from it.

“The police should go after the container owners at the Kuramo Beach instead of arresting us because they are the ones encouraging us,” she stated with tears rolling down her cheeks.

The police have transferred all the suspects to the Lagos State rehabilitation centre, P.M.NEWS gathered.