By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti
Parents of three girls from Ekiti State whose daughter’s are currently languishing in the Libya’s slave camp have demanded the safe return of their children back to Nigeria.
They made the call on Thursday at the State Police Command where a
suspect who facilitated their trip, Dada Ogundare, was paraded.
Ogundare was paraded alongside a prophetess, Omoseeke Komolafe, who collected money from their parents and gave same to the trafficking suspect.
The suspects claimed that they only assisted the young ladies, one of
whom was pregnant, to seek employment outside the country not knowing that they would end up as slaves.
The victims left Nigeria on November 25 by road rather than by air as they were promised that they were going to Dubai only to be taken to Libya where they were sold as slaves.
The parents explained that they later made attempt to bring their
children back home but the traffickers in Libya demanded N1.2 million from them.
One of the parents, Mrs. Margaret Olorunfemi, revealed that she and
Prophetess Komolafe are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikere-Ekiti.
The woman said she was worried when she did not hear from her
daughter.
According to her, she was able to speak with her daughter on
December 10 who told her that she was in a slave camp in Libya.
Another Ikere woman whose daughter was trapped in Libyan slave camp,Mrs. Feyisayo Adedayo, revealed that her daughter is pregnant.
She said: “My daughter, Ayomiotan, spoke with me on phone that they
went through the desert and not by flight as they were promised.
“I don’t have N1.2 million to send to them to free my daughter. (Ekiti
State) Government should return my daughter to me with her pregnancy.
“She (daughter) is my only girl and my last born; I reported the case
at the police station in Ikere. I want my daughter back because I don’t want her to die in slave camp.”
Another parent of Libya slavery from Ikere, Mrs. Bukola Bamise said she was shocked to learn that her daughter had been sold as a slave.
The suspected trafficker,Ogundare, told reporters that she contacted
the prophetess to help her find girls interested in jobs in Libya. He
claimed he didn’t collect money from the victims.
Ogundare explained that his wife and younger sister are in Libya added that she told the prophetess to inform the girls’ parents of their
destination.
He said: I didn’t collect One Naira from anybody, I have so far taken
four persons to Libya while madam (prophetess) had taken nine persons to Libya.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation
Department (CID), Mr Julius Okoro, warned parents against allowing
their children embark on questionable trips.
He said: “The girls were trafficked to Libya on the pretext that they
were taking them to Dubai. Information reached their parents that they are suffering and they had been sold out in the slave camp in Libya.
“One of the girls trafficked to Libya is pregnant but was rejected by
those buying them because of her pregnancy. We understand that they are suffering seriously in Libya.
“Our advice to parents is that they should be careful of those they
entrust their children to. Let them be careful and be sure of the persons they are handing over their children to.”
