National Association Against Trafficking In Persons, Gambia has arrested two Nigerian women for alleged s.e.x trafficking of minors.
The arrest came following an investigation launched by a new Gambian investigative outfit, The Guardian Intelligence Investigative Platform.
The investigation, focusing on s.e.x trafficking, was launched a few weeks ago following reports of massive trafficking of young Nigerian girls, some of whom are as young as 15 years.
The two women, who were held at the Brusubi and Kairaba police stations were released on bail and currently helping the police in their investigations, it has been reported.
A senior state lawyer told The Guardian Intelligence that s.e.x trafficking is not a capital offense in Gambian laws and because of that the alleged offenders can be bailed. Jennifer and Viviane have since admitted bringing the girls into the country but insisted that the girls knew they were coming to Banjul to trade in s.e.x work.
A claim all the girls interviewed have denied.
“I admit that I brought them to The Gambia but I had informed them they will be doing Asawo (s.e.x work). I never told them they were going to do business or work in a restaurant,” Viviane insisted.
When asked whether she knew the girls were underage and could not have given consent, Viviane said she would not know if the girls had not told her in the first place.
But one of the girls who was trafficked by Viviane said she was promised that she would work in a restaurant. “I was shock when I realised that I was brought to The Gambia to do Asawo (s.e.x work),” she told this medium based on anonymity for safety reasons.
For her part, Jennifer who is believed to be one of the toughest among the traffickers, had a tough exchange with NAATIP investigators during the interrogation and insisted she has done nothing wrong.
When approached for comments, she tensely said: “I am unfairly targeted. I have done nothing wrong.”
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Useless women