An Abuja hotel, Ignobis Hotels located on Gado Nasco Road in Kubwa, was raided by the Gender Unit of the Nigeria Police Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on allegations of abuse and endangerment of minors.
The raid was carried out by Inspector Ossai Ojobo, an Investigation Police Officer, accompanied by officials from the Social Development Secretarial (SDS), FCT Administration, and representatives of a non-governmental organization (NGO).
During the raid, the Hotel Manager, Mr Akbueze Chidi, and a restauranteur, Priscilla Abuyah, were apprehended and taken to the Force CID for questioning.
The raid was prompted by a petition submitted by the Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN) to the Social Welfare Department of the SDS. The petition alleged that the hotel was harboring minors and exposing them to sexual exploitation.
Mrs Joy Omokivie, the SDS Officer in charge of the case, informed the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the petition was forwarded to the Gender Unit of the Force CID for investigation.
Omokivie stated that residents classified the hotel as a brothel where young girls, including underage girls, were being brought in for sex.
The HRAN petition stated that a 12-year-old minor and her 4-year-old brother were residing in the hotel with a woman believed to be their mother.
After conducting some investigations, the 12-year-old girl was rescued and is now under the care of the Social Welfare Department, while her younger brother remains with their mother.
The raid is part of an ongoing investigation to verify the allegations. If they are found to be true, the minors will be rescued, and those responsible will face prosecution.
In the petition, HRAN accused Mrs Immanuela Austyn-Araki, a Bolt driver, of abandoning the children in the hotel during the day, leaving them to fend for themselves.
The NGO claimed that the children mainly subsisted on snacks and noodles until their mother returned late at night or the following morning.
According to HRAN’s investigation, the woman and her children had been staying in the hotel for over two years, exposing them to various forms of sexual activity by other adults lodging in the hotel.
The group also revealed that the girl had access to the internet and was browsing inappropriate sites unsuitable for minors. She even had an account on Tik-Tok where she uploaded adult-related content.
HRAN alleged that men, including the hotel owner, frequented the room occupied by the minors and their mother when she was absent.
Furthermore, HRAN expressed suspicions of possible child trafficking, claiming that there were underage girls on the hotel premises working as commercial sex workers.
Consequently, HRAN urged the police to investigate the matter and intervene to safeguard the child’s well-being.
After reading the petition at the Force CID, both the hotel manager and the restaurant operator chose not to respond without their lawyer present.
Meanwhile, Mr Eze Obasi, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the hotel, strongly denied the allegations, stating, “I am a devout Christian and hold a traditional title in my community. Therefore, I cannot be associated with the sexual exploitation, abuse, or endangerment of underage girls in my hotel.
“All I know is that the woman in question was facing maltreatment from her husband, and she sought refuge in the hotel with her children.
“This complaint has been brought to my attention by four different groups, and it has already been resolved.
“I fail to understand why police officers would still come to the hotel and embarrass my clients in the name of searching for minors,” he stated.