By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – A pastor identified as Marvelous Odalo and an accomplice are currently in the special investigating unit of the Edo State Taskforce against human trafficking for allegedly trafficking a 22 years old girl to Russia under the guise that she was going to act as a nanny to a pregnant woman based in that country.

trafficking

The trafficking syndicate was uncovered by a team of investigators following a tip off from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Comrade Solomon Okoduwa.

The law establishing the taskforce and empowering it to prosecute offenders was recently signed into law by the state governor and it prescribes a punishment of imprisonment without option of fine and penalty of N1m.

Odalo was reportedly said to have supervised the victim’s oath of secrecy before she was trafficked to Russia.

Narrating her experience, the girl whose identity is being kept secret for now said “the mother of the Madam took me to a pastor in a church, the pastor asked me to stand on top of white handkerchief and One thousand naira note on the altar.

“The pastor asked me to repeat after him whatever he was he was saying. That if I refuse to pay my madam and other things something bad will happen to me.

“I was asked to pay the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) equivalent to seventeen million, eight hundred and fifty thousand naira- (N17, 850, 000). They told me that I was going to meet a woman who is pregnant in Russia and I will assist her to do domestic things in her shop and home while I will also be working as a stylist in her saloon. And I will pay that amount since the work is thriving there; I never knew that the lady was neither pregnant nor married. Having gotten there, it was a different ball game. I was thereafter forced to engage in prostitution in Russia which I resisted, I rejected it and told them I will rather go home than sell my body to satisfy one greedy woman.”

She said she was led to meet one Nigerian in Russia who introduced her to Okoduwa who took over the matter.

She said since her return, the so called madam has been threatening her life insisting that the victim must pay her money.

Okoduwa told Saturday Vanguard that the victim was trafficked three months after Oba Ewuare II invoked curse on human traffickers and neutralized the oath of secrecy.

Okoduwa commended a personnel in the Nigerian embassy in Russia who he simply called Kenny for his working tirelessly with the Nigerian Embassy in Russia to end human trafficking.