A 16-year-old girl, simply identified as Abigail, has narrated how she left her hometown in Cross River state after she was promised a salesgirl job in Ogun State.

The teenager’s fairy run soon turned into a nightmare when she arrived at her destination.
Abigail recounted the six-month odyssey of how she moved from a job seeker to a sex slave ‘servicing’ clients in a local brothel.

According to Saturday PUNCH, the teenager was introduced into prostitution by her boss, Madam Nelly, at Kolab Hotel along Ayetoro Road in Ogun State.

Investigation revealed that underage girls are being used for prostitution at the hotel (bungalow) premises by a woman identified as Madam Nelly and that some of them including Abigail craved to be freed

“I was around that day. But I was locked inside the room because policemen were patrolling. Madam Nelly doesn’t allow me and other young girls to go out. Men come to ‘sleep with’ us inside our rooms,” she mumbled.

To have an easy access to Abigail, the correspondent had to posed as a client.

She was slim and light-complexioned, her face was filled with confusion when the correspondent entered the small apartment demarcated with a piece of wood raised at mid-level.

After being told that the mission was different, Abigail disclosed the agonizing experience she has been through since she arrived at the hotel about six months ago.

“One Aunty Bright brought me and my cousin here from Calabar. She told me I would be helping Madam Nelly to sell food and that after some months, the woman would give me money so that I can go back to the village to continue my school. She didn’t tell me the amount the woman would give me. I noticed that Madam Nelly gave her money before she left but I don’t know the amount.

“I dropped out at SS 1 because my father didn’t pay my school fees. He threw out my luggage and told me not to come to his house again. I don’t know my offense. He had two wives, including my mother who died about two years ago.”

After about 20 minutes’ chat, The correspondent gave Abigail N500 which she said Rasheed would soon come to collect as other girls would have told him of her latest client.
“Please, I am tired; I want to leave here,” Abigail appealed grimly as the correspondent left her room.
She claimed that she realized that the salesgirl’s job was camouflaged when Madam Nelly changed her real name to Abigail and warned her to always abide by her rules.

“I was shocked when Madam Nelly began to bring men to me in the room,” she remarked, casting a painful look at a dusty ceiling fan hung across her room and the adjoining one.

“I cannot count the number of men who have had sex with me. I am tired but Madam Nelly would not let me go,” she lamented.

Abigail narrated that she is paid N500 for ‘short time’ – a term used for momentary sex – and N1,000 for all-night service.

“It is madam who collects the money. She only comes here in the night to collect the money from one Rasheed whom she told me to always report to. I don’t like this place but whenever I complain, madam will threaten to take me to where she took my cousin, Esther, too. She is just 15 years. I don’t know where she took her too. I only saw her once since we got here.

“I only have two meals every day, in the morning and evening. At times, I will take garri (soaked in water). I am tired; I want to go back home.”

Abigail further explained that Nelly had promised twice, in December and during the last Easter, to facilitate her return to Calabar but failed.

“We are not allowed to use phones and I don’t know any phone number of my relations off hand. I don’t know the number of girls here but we are many. I want to go back to school. Whenever I am sick, madam will bring someone to treat me. She has instructed me to always lock the door when police are around. They usually come every week to collect money from her but I don’t know how much she gives them.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi, assured that the command would make proper investigations.

“The police will investigate your claim and do the needful,” he said.

Although it has not been revealed if the policemen Abigail referred to were from the station, the area is under the jurisdiction of the Itele Police Division.

Some suspected youths with drugs were also seen roaming about the hotel premises.