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Busted: Police rescue 22 minors from Ogun sex slave camp

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Men of Sango-Ota Area Command, Ogun State, have raided Kolab Hotel along Ayetoro Road, Itele area of the state and rescued 22 ladies, including underage girls used for prostitution at the facility.

The manager of the hotel, its supervisor and eight other male workers were also arrested during the operation on Friday evening shortly after our correspondent contacted the spokesperson for the state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, for comments on the undercover investigation carried out at the facility.

One of the minors, a 16-year-old, recounted how she dropped out of school at Senior Secondary School 1 due to financial constraint. She narrated how one Aunty brought her from Calabar, Cross River State, sometime in November 2020 to work with one Madam as a salesgirl so she could raise money to return to school.

To her dismay, the madam changed her real name to Abigail and turned her into a sex slave, collecting proceeds of prostitution – N500 per client for short time (brief sex) and N1,000 for all-night romp – from her on a daily basis.

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The minor’s appeal that she was tired and wanted to return to her hometown in Calabar fell on deaf ears, adding that the aunty didn’t allow her access to a mobile phone.

The Police moved in after a story by Saturday PUNCH. The police team, led by Area Commander Sango-Ota, ACP Muyideen Obe, stormed the hotel on Friday and rescued 22 persons.

Abimbola, the police spokesperson in the state, in a statement on Saturday, also said 11 male suspects were apprehended at the facility.

He said, “The police team, upon credible intelligence received that minors were being recruited from other states and used as commercial sex workers at Kolab Hotel in Itele-Ota, stormed the said hotel around 8pm on Friday. Twenty-two teenagers were rescued.

“On interrogation, the girls narrated how they were lured from their respective villages in Akwa Ibom State to come to Ogun State, with the promise to employ them as salesgirls in restaurants and supermarkets, only for them to get to Lagos and be transferred to a brothel in Ogun State as commercial sex workers.

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“They narrated further that they were deprived of using phones or any communication devices, therefore, making it impossible for them to reach out to their parents or relations. The Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered that the family support unit of the Area Command take over the investigation of the case, identify the recruiting cartel and bring them to justice as soon as possible.”

Rescued girls share ordeal:

Vivian, 15, a Senior Secondary School 3 pupil, said that she needed money to pay for a contribution meant to bribe invigilators during external examinations that would be held in August.

She said her cousin, named Happiness, brought her to Lagos from Akwa Ibom with a promise to help her secure a salesgirl job to raise money.

She explained, “I arrived at Lagos last Sunday without my mum’s consent. Happiness took me to the hotel in Ogun and she handed me over to one madam. In the evening, the woman asked me if I knew the nature of the job I would be doing and I said selling clothes. She then told me it is prostitution. I felt sad and told her I couldn’t do it. I was crying.”

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Vivian said on Tuesday, the madam, whose name she couldn’t mention, asked her to wear short dresses and hang around for clients, stating that men approached her but she ignored them.

She added, “I started praying to God to save me. I was crying that I wanted to go back but nobody listened to me. On Thursday, my friends warned me that Madam would beat me if I didn’t make any money. So I allowed a man to ‘sleep’ (have sex) with me. He gave me N1,000 and Madam collected it.

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Tinubu returns to Nigeria after state visit to UK

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President Bola Tinubu arrived in Lagos early on Friday following a two-day historic visit to the United Kingdom.

The president is expected to join Muslim faithful later in the day to mark the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr.

Tinubu and his wife, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, touched down at about 1:15 a.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

They were received on arrival by top government officials and party members, including Lagos State Deputy Governor Femi Hamzat and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside other All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts.

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Tinubu departs UK for Nigeria after historic state visit

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed the the United Kingdom for Nigeria following a high-profile state visit.

This was disclosed on Friday morning by the President’s Special Adviser, Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

“President Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu depart London for Nigeria. President Tinubu and his wife are heading to Lagos for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration,” Onanuga wrote on his Facebook page.

The visit was marked by royal engagements, economic discussions and renewed diplomatic ties.

Tinubu was first received by King Charles III at Windsor Castle, where both leaders held talks aimed at strengthening relations between Nigeria and the UK. The visit featured ceremonial honours, including a carriage procession and a state banquet attended by senior members of the royal family.

At the banquet, Tinubu emphasised the importance of stronger cooperation between both countries. “Nigeria remains ready to deepen its partnership with the United Kingdom in trade, investment and shared prosperity,” he said. “We are committed to creating an environment that supports investors and drives sustainable growth,” Tinubu said.

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On his part, King Charles highlighted the enduring relationship between the two nations. “The United Kingdom and Nigeria share deep and enduring ties. Our countries are bound not only by history, but by a shared commitment to opportunity, enterprise and cultural exchange,” the monarch said.

Beyond the royal engagements, Tinubu also took part in meetings with UK officials, including discussions linked to the government of Keir Starmer, focusing on economic collaboration and investment opportunities.

Speaking on the outcomes of the visit, Tinubu said: “This visit has opened new pathways for cooperation, particularly in infrastructure and trade. We look forward to translating these discussions into tangible benefits for our people.”

A key development from the trip was progress on an agreement involving the rehabilitation of Nigerian ports, valued at hundreds of millions of pounds. According to officials, the project is expected to boost maritime capacity and support economic growth.

Tinubu also acknowledged the significance of the visit, noting that it comes at a crucial time for Nigeria’s economy. “We are determined to reposition our economy through strategic partnerships such as this,” he said.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: 2027 gov poll: Succession firestorm heats up in 10 states

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1. The simmering build-up to the 2027 general elections is rapidly giving way to an expansive and high-stakes succession season in at least 10 states, as governors in their final terms prepare to exit and a new generation of political actors moves to take their place.

Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara) are in the final lap of their constitutionally permitted two-term, four-year tenures, and the battle for their successors has begun across the states


2. President Bola Tinubu on Thursday night departed London after a two-day historic visit at the instance of the royal family. He is expected to land in Abuja on Friday morning.


3. The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on the Nigerian military to adopt a more proactive strategy against terrorist groups in the wake of deadly bombings in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Abubakar made the appeal on Wednesday evening while declaring Friday as Eid-el-Fitr, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.


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4. Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State says the time of Boko Haram informants and their sympathizers is up, vowing that they would be tracked and made to face the full wrath of the law. The governor gave the warning during a state-wide broadcast on Thursday.


5. There was panic at St. Matthias Catholic Church, Agulu, in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, after a fully loaded lorry crashed into the church premises and caught fire. The incident, which occurred late on Wednesday along the Agulu Lake–Golden Tulip Hotel Road, caused gridlock as motorists slowed down while emergency responders battled to contain the blaze.



6. Nigeria has entered into a fresh agreement with the United Kingdom that will enable British authorities to repatriate thousands of failed asylum seekers and convicted offenders to the West African nation. The deal was formalised by Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood during President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to Britain.


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7. Combined security operatives have arrested three suspected bandits linked to the February 3, 2026 attack on Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. The arrest was disclosed on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Ibraheem Abdullateef, in a Facebook post.



8. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Kano Strategic Command, has arrested a suspect and recovered 510 blocks of cannabis sativa in a major pre–Eid-el-Fitr operation. The State Commander, D.Y. Lawal, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics, Sadiq Muhammad Maigatari.


9. Nigeria has been ranked the fourth most terrorized country in the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index, 2026, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a non-profit think tank headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The report showed that 750 Nigerians lost their lives to terrorism in 2025, representing a 46 per cent increase compared to the previous year.



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10. The Police Command in Enugu State has detained three suspects in coordinated crime prevention operations across the state, recovering a firearm, ammunition and a tricycle. The command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu. Ndukwe said that on March 15, about 9 a.m., operatives on patrol along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway intercepted an unregistered tricycle.

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