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| Arrested in Lagos: Chinese sex workers. Image: Punch |
The National Headquarters of Nigerian Immigration Service is investigating 11 Chinese sex workers arrested at Ikeja area of Lagos.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects, who were arrested by the NIS Lagos Command, were transferred to Abuja on Wednesday after a directive from the office of the Controller-General that the suspects should be investigated by the head office of the NIS.
The spokesman for the service, Mr. Akin Olumba, who confirmed this to our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday, said other members of the syndicate who are in hiding would be fished out.
“The man and woman, who run the syndicate, are still out there. We will ensure they are arrested,” Olumba said.
Asked about the ages of the arrested suspects, Olumba said he could not divulge the information for now because of the ongoing investigation.
PUNCH Metro learnt that aside the 11 sex workers, two men, who were also Chinese nationals, were arrested when the NIS operatives raided their residence at Emina Crescent, off Toyin Street, Ikeja, where the alleged sex workers were housed.
They were said to have been arrested following a tip-off.
Our correspondent learnt that the couple, whom the immigration confirmed are in hiding, run the cartel in conjunction with some Nigerians.
A resident of the area, who witnessed the operation in which the Chinese nationals were arrested, told our correspondent that people in the area had been suspicious of what was going on in the residence.
The man, who identified himself simply as James, said, “There have been different rumours about the Chinese people we see in the building.
“Some people said they were high-class sex workers patronised by politicians and expatriates while some said they were just factory workers.
“Nobody actually knew what they do. I wasn’t surprised when the place was raided and they were arrested.”
The sex workers were said to charge between $1,000 and $2,500 from their affluent patrons.
