By Juliana Francis
The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a superintendent of police, Edafe Bright, has revealed how the command, under the watch of the Police Commissioner, CP Yemi John Oyeniyi, exposed human traffickers who removed a 19-year-old victim’s womb in the Ivory Coast.
In a viral video, Bright said, “This is one of the most pathetic cases we have handled. A young girl, 19 years old, from Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, was approached by friends of her father who claimed they wanted to help her travel abroad.
“They promised her a job, but did not specify what kind of work it would be. When she arrived in the Ivory Coast, she discovered that the job was prostitution.
“She refused and told them she wanted to return home. They said they had no money to send her back. She called her aunt, but the aunt also said she had no money to help.
“Eventually, they gave her something that made her unconscious. She told them she was sick, and they took her to a place they claimed was a hospital. There, she was injected until she lost consciousness.
“When she woke up, she discovered her stomach had been cut open and bandaged. She had no idea what had been done to her.
“They intended to force her into prostitution after the procedure, but the wound refused to heal. When they realised this, they abandoned her in Lagos.
“She managed to find her way back home, and that was when the matter was reported to us. After the investigation, we arrested two suspects.
“The doctor who examined her confirmed that her womb had been removed. A 19-year-old girl; her womb was taken out by these wicked human traffickers.
“You can see the scars on her stomach. This is what they did to her. As I speak, even the lady behind the camera is in tears because this is such a tragic story.
“Her name is Ejiro. She explained that she was told she would be given work abroad. She believed she would work and then return home. But instead, she was drugged, lost consciousness, and woke up to find her womb removed.
“We then questioned the suspects. One of them, Blessing, admitted that she was paid ₦400,000 for arranging the girl’s travel.
“Another suspect, Esther, said she received ₦115,000. Blessing herself has four children, yet she chose to exploit another person’s child. When asked why she did not send her own daughter, she had no answer.
“This is the cruelty of human trafficking, convincing a 19-year-old girl to travel abroad under pretences, only to subject her to inhuman treatment and organ removal.”
