- The raid followed a petition from Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN) accusing the hotel of sheltering minors for sexual exploitation
- A 12-year-old girl and her 4-year-old brother were allegedly residing in the hotel, with the girl posting adult-related content on TikTok
On Friday, the Gender Unit of the Nigerian Police Force Criminal Investigation Department in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) executed a raid on Ignobis Hotels located on Gado Nasco Road in Kubwa, Abuja. The hotel was targeted due to alleged instances of abuse and endangerment of minors.
Heading the operation was Inspector Ossai Ojobo, an Investigation Police Officer, who was accompanied by representatives from the Social Development Secretarial (SDS) of the FCT Administration and a non-governmental organization (NGO).
Subsequent to the raid, both the Hotel Manager, Akbueze Chidi, and a restaurant operator within the hotel, Priscilla Abuyah, were apprehended and taken to the Force CID for interrogation and further investigation.
The impetus for the raid stemmed from a petition submitted by Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN), an NGO, to the Social Welfare Department of the SDS. The petition accused the hotel of sheltering minors and exposing them to situations of sexual exploitation.
Joy Omokivie, the SDS Officer overseeing the case, reported that the SDS had directed the petition to the Gender Unit of the Force CID for a thorough investigation.
Omokivie shared that local residents had classified the hotel as a brothel, asserting that it harbored young girls, including underage ones, who were allegedly being subjected to sexual exploitation.
In the petition, HRAN contended that a 12-year-old minor and her 4-year-old brother were residing at the hotel alongside a woman supposedly acting as their mother.
Following investigations, the 12-year-old girl was rescued and is presently in the custody of the Social Welfare Department. The young boy remains with his mother.
The purpose of the raid was to verify the allegations and if substantiated, to effect the rescue of the minors and prosecute those responsible.
HRAN accused Immanuela Austyn-Araki, a Bolt driver, of abandoning the children at the hotel during the day, leaving them to fend for themselves. The NGO claimed that the children’s sustenance primarily consisted of snacks and noodles until her return, often late at night or the following morning.
HRAN’s investigation suggested that the woman had lodged with the children in the hotel for over two years, potentially exposing them to inappropriate behaviors by other adults staying there.
The NGO indicated that the girl had access to the internet and was visiting sites unsuitable for her age. They also mentioned that she maintained an account on TikTok where she posted adult-related content.
HRAN raised concerns that men, including the hotel owner, frequently visited the room occupied by the minors and their mother whenever she was absent.
The NGO expressed suspicions of potential child trafficking, citing the presence of underage girls on the hotel premises engaged in commercial sex work.
HRAN urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation to safeguard the endangered child and hold the responsible parties accountable.
Upon receiving the petition at the Force CID, the hotel manager and restaurant operator declined to provide any response without the presence of their legal representative.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Hotel, Eze Obasi, refuted the allegation, saying “I am a good Christian and a traditional title holder in my community.
“As such, I cannot be a party to sexual exploitation, abuse, or endangerment of underage girls in my hotel.
“All I know is that the woman in question was being maltreated by her husband and she came to the hotel with her children to seek refuge from her abusive husband.
“This complaint has been brought before me by four different groups and it has been settled.
“I do not understand why police officers will still come to the hotel to embarrass my clients in the name of police search for minors,” he said.
After the raid that ended around 8:30 p.m., the minor and the mother were not found at the hotel.