I was forced to work to raise $6,000 for Libyan pimp ─ Schoolgirl....SEE PHOTO

THE RELEASED KIDNAPPED SCHOOL GIRL
firstclassnewsline.net

This 15-year-old schoolgirl, Precious Nwaigwe, who was kidnapped in
the Ajah area of Lagos State about a year ago, has said she was forced
to work for $6,000 the Libyan pimp paid to buy her.
Precious added that after paying the money, she was again used as
collateral for a 500 Libyan dinars (N50,000) loan.
Precious also stated that her abductors conducted pregnancy tests on
her three different times, which were negative.
The victim, who was released on Friday, spoke to firstclass newsline
on Monday in Ikeja, Lagos.
PRecious said she saw more than 1,000 Nigerian girls, who were also
forced to work for the money paid by the pimps to the human
traffickers.
Firstclass newsline had reported how the victim was kidnapped in May,
2014 while returning to her school, Ikenne Community College, Ikenne,
Ogun State.
Her parents were said to have been contacted by the kidnappers in the
Niger Republic, about two months after, demanding $100,000 (N19.9m) as
a ransom.
Policemen from the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, and
the Special Anti-Robbery Squad went to different parts of the country
to arrest suspects.
A principal suspect and cousin of the victim, Kelvin Okito, was said
to have eventually made a call to his accomplices in Libya, asking
them to free the victim.
She returned to Lagos on Friday.
Precious said she would never forgive her cousin for betraying her trust.
She said she was actually abducted in Ode Remo, Ogun State after she
stumbled on some cultists en route to her school in Ikenne.
She said, "When I left Sangotedo Park in Ajah for school, I was the
only one in the vehicle, so the driver dropped me off at Ibeju Lekki.
"I got another vehicle from there, which took me to Ode Remo around
9pm. I could not find a cab that would take me to Ikenne where my
school is. I did not know they were having a festival that day and
people had been asked to stay indoors.
"I trekked for about two hours until I stumbled on some people who
were talking. I discovered they were cultists and they accused me of
eavesdropping. They added that I knew their secrets. The ladies among
them descended on me.
"After the ladies were done beating me, they asked the men in the
group to take turns to rape me."
She said she faintly heard a man in the group protesting the decision.
She said the man, who she later identified as Seun, took her to Ojota in Lagos.
She said Seun took care of her for two weeks, while she recuperated
from her injuries.
Precious added, "One day, he said he wanted to help me to get eyedrop
because my eyes were swollen. I begged him to allow me to follow him,
at least to see the sun.
"He obliged me and while we were going, my slippers cut and I went
back into the house to pick another one. I was on my way when I saw
Kelvin (Okito) my maternal cousin."
The Ebonyi State indigene, said she narrated her ordeal to Okito,
thinking that he would rescue her.
Firstclass newsline learnt that Okito, however, took her to the Alaba
area of Lagos and connived with his friend, John, to sell the
15-year-old to John's elder brother, identified as Nzube Chukwu.
Chukwu was said to be based in Libya.
Precious explained that Okito deceived her that he had discussed with
her mother to take her to Libya where she would continue her
education.
She said, "He said he had called my mum and told her he was taking me
on a journey to Libya. I pleaded with him to allow me talk to her, but
he said my mum was happy that I was going to Libya, where I would
continue my education."
She said together with some other migrants, they spent four days on
the road before reaching Agadez in the Niger Republic.
Precious said at that point, her co-travellers told her that it was a
journey of life and death.
She said, "We spent four days on our journey to Agadez in the Niger
Republic. The other people with me said it was a journey of life and
death. I managed to get a phone, called my mum and asked her for money
so I could return to Nigeria.
"They discovered the phone that I used to call my mum and they seized
it. I was made to stay indoors in Agadez for three weeks."
She said they later started the journey to Libya and spent seven days
in the desert, adding that some people died on the way.
"We got to Bra in Libya seven days after. I met the wife of the man
(Chukwu) and she asked me if I had been told what I was there for. I
said, 'Yes, to continue my school.'
I was taken to a place where there were so many girls wearing only
pants and bras. I told them to wear their clothes. But they laughed at
me and said, 'this one is a JJC (naive)'," she added.
The victim said the woman told her she had bought her and she must
work to pay back the money.
Firstclass newsline crew learnt that the woman told her she would pay
$6,000, including transport, accommodation and feeding costs.
She said when she did not cooperate, she was beaten up.
Almost Every night, they would torture me with cigarette stubs. They
locked me up in a room and beat me up," she added.
Firstclass Newsline learnt that the practice in the area was that
every day's job was documented in a notebook.
At the end of the month, the total money made by each of the girls
would be tabulated and divided into two.
The money would then be shared ─ one part for accommodation and
feeding, and the other for transport cost incurred while travelling
down to Libya.
She said she had pleaded with a man that had indicated interest to
sleep with her on a night, to allow her make a call with his phone.
The victim said she called Okito and told him she was suffering,
begging him to talk to the woman to allow her go.
Okito was said to have assured the 15-year-old that he would do something.
She said, "But I paid the money back on my own. The man (Chukwu), who
sold me to the woman, then came back and started making trouble
again."
It was learnt that Chukwu later used the victim to borrow 500 dinars
(about N50,000).
Precious said she was relocated to another part of the town, Baladia.
The victim said she was accused of sleeping with Chukwu and was
subjected to three pregnancy tests, which were negative.
While working to raise the 500 dinars, she said she met a Nigerian
named Soni (Sunday).
The girl and soni were said to have become friends.
Firstclass newsline was told that policemen at the SCID and SARS, in
the course of investigations, arrested John and Okito in Lagos.
Chukwu,john's brother was said to have threatened Precious that she
would not be allowed to return to Nigeria until the police in Nigeria
released John.
However, Soni helped the victim to pay the money and insisted that the
victim was no longer in captivity and Chukwu could not decide her
fate.
Firstclass newsline crew learnt that Soni, who worked as a tiles
contractor in Libya, arranged Precious' transport to Lagos.
She told firstclass newsline that while preparing to return home, the
pimp in Libya urged her to recruit girls from Lagos.
She said, "She told me that now that I have seen how she worked and
made her money, she would want me to join the business.
"There were more than 1,000 Nigerian girls who had been recruited to
work in Libya.
"I was lucky to have survived and returned home safely."
She said when she arrived in Lagos, she contacted a relative in the
Okota area of the state, who took her to her parents.
I will never forgive my cousin who did this to me.
"I trusted him and he decided to sell me for money," she said.
Firstclass Newsline learnt that the victim would not return to her
school in Ikenne.
Okoro,her father said he was happy that his daughter returned home alive.
He said, "There were four people involved in this sad tale and they
were my town's people.
I have already spent more than N3m to get my daughter back. I was
close to selling my house."
Her mother, Blessing, commended police,Firstclass Newsline,The Punch
and other Nigerians for their meaningful support.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, said the suspects
would soon be charged to court.
Firstclassnewsline.net