By Juliana Francis

Officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have arrested Miss Rita Chinenye Ani, based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate (UAE), and her elder sister, Ngozi Stella Nnamani Ani aka Princess, for allegedly inserting hot boiling ring into a lady’s vagina.

Rita, who returned home from Abu Dhabi to perform her traditional marriage rites preparatory to moving to the United Kingdom with her fiancé, was arrested in Ibadan by the newly established NAPTIP-Rapid Response Squad (NAPTIP-RRS).

Head, Press and Public Relations of NAPTIP, Josiah Emerole, said: “The lid on these suspects was blown recently after one of the victims returned from Abu Dhabi after four months of forced prostitution by Rita and under very excruciating conditions, including flogging and the insertion of hot boiling ring into her vagina when she did not make enough money a day and forcible collection of the proceeds of the prostitution from her by Rita.”

Yesterday, four persons, Rita, Ngozi, Ozigi Abdulkarim and Princewill James, were arraigned before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja for engaging in human trafficking.

Emerole said that the four defendants, two males and two females, were arraigned before Hon. Justice Yusuf Halilu by NAPTIP.

The defendants were taken to court by NAPTIP on a 10-count charge contrary to sections 13, 14, 18 and 26(b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. The NAPTIP legal team was led by its Chief Legal Officer, Mr. Aondona Orti.

The defendants were arrested by operatives of NAPTIP in two operations in Gwarimpa, Abuja and Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Emerole said: “The victim, who is 19 years old, was recruited from Gwarimpa, Abuja by her former boyfriend, Ozigi Abdulkarim, Ngozi Stella Ani and Princewill James for onward transfer to Rita Ani in Abu Dhabi, UAE. They prepared her travel documents, took her to Ogbomoso, Oyo State where fetish oath was administered on her before the journey.”

When the case came up yesterday, the four defendants, who were represented by counsel pleaded not guilty to the charges proffered against them. Counsel to Rita and Ngozi did not file a formal application for bail; hence the judge ordered that they be remanded in prison custody.

Their counsel had earlier made an oral application to the court for them to be remanded in NAPTIP custody, which the court turned down.

Abdulkarim and James, on the other hand, had through their counsel, M. Ojobor and Ugochukwu Opara, made a formal application for their bail.

The judge granted them bail based on the conditions that they must provide two sureties each and that the sureties must not be below the rank of a director in the public service in Abuja.

The sureties, who must own a house each in the FCT, must show proof of being in service by presenting their letters of first appointment and last promotion.

The case was subsequently adjourned till September 13 for hearing.

Newtelegraphonline