National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), yesterday, rescued five under-aged labourers and sealed a building under construction in Enugu.?
?The construction site, a four-storey building is located at N0. 1 Dr. Alex Ekwueme Street, Independence Layout, Enugu. South East Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Nneka Ajie, said the raid followed intelligence gathered by the agency that some under-aged children were being exploited by their ‘principal.’?
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“We got a tip-off that some children are being brought into the state for child and exploitative labour. We carried out surveillance and raided the location.?
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“We succeeded in rescuing five minors between the ages of eight and 17 and 12 adults who were minors as at the time they were recruited and brought to the state four years ago,” she said.?
She said the victims were brought from the Benin Republic by a man identified as Francis, “who is now at large”. Ajie described the incident as modern-day slavery, which would never be allowed to take root in the state.?
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She added that the building is to be used as a hotel and that they have got the name of the alleged owner.?