Ekiti government to sue NTA, demands apology for Deputy governor’s name to con victims to Libya slave

The Ekiti State Police Command has paraded two suspects, Dada Ogundare and prophetess, Omoseeke Komolafe, who allegedly dropped the Deputy Governor, Prof Kolapo Olusola ‘s name to con unsuspecting victims to Libya slave camp.

They were paraded by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Mr. Julius Okoro.

The duo had allegedly deceived the parents of the trafficked girls saying that Olusola had given some party members four slots to travel to Dubai.

Parents of three girls from Ekiti State who were allegedly given three slots to travel to Dubai but ended in a slave camp in Libya stated this while fielding questions from newsmen during the parade.

Meanwhile, the state government has written to the NTA Ado Ekiti demanding a retraction of the story aired by the station during their 7 pm news bulletin.

In the 13 paragraph letter dated January 4, 2018, and signed by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr Kolapo Kolade, it was stated, ” without mincing words, the said publication which you knew or reasonably ought to know to be false was solely and maliciously aired to bring to disrepute and public ridicule the person and high office of his Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State Professor Kolapo Olusola and which you have succeeded in doing.

” His Excellency has, therefore, requested that we demand from you that: (a) You write a letter of apology. (b) Publish a retraction of the said offensive, malicious and defamatory publication and give the same publicity given to the said offensive, malicious and defamatory publication (c) To stop further publication of the malicious and disparaging falsehood. (d) All of the above must be done within 72 hours of your receipt of this letter.”

Ogundare was paraded alongside prophetess, Komolafe allegedly collected money from the parents of the victims.

The suspects claimed that they only assisted the young ladies, one of whom was pregnant, to seek employment outside the country not knowing that they would end up as slaves.

The victims left Nigeria on November 25 by road rather than by air as they were promised that they were going to Dubai only to be taken to Libya where they were sold as slaves.

The parents explained that they later made attempt to bring their children back home but the traffickers in Libya demanded N1.2 million from them.

One of the parents, Mrs. Margaret Olorunfemi, revealed that she and Prophetess Komolafe are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the same ward with deputy governor in Ikere-Ekiti.

Mrs. Olorunfemi disclosed that Prophetess Komolafe told her daughter that the deputy governor has been given four slots to be given to children of party members in his ward to travel to Dubai adding that they were told to make N150,000 available to facilitate the trip.

The woman said she was worried when she did not hear from her daughter. According to her, she was able to speak with her daughter on December 10 who told her that she was in a slave camp in Libya.

Mrs. Olorunfemi said: “My child called that the prophetess had sold her into slavery that we should get N1.2 million before they can be freed from slavery.”

Another Ikere woman whose daughter was trapped in Libyan slave camp, Mrs. Feyisayo Adedayo, revealed that her daughter is pregnant.

She said: “My daughter, Ayomiotan, spoke with me on the phone that they went through the desert and not by flight as they were promised.

“I don’t have N1.2 million to send to them to free my daughter. She is my only girl and my last born; I reported the case to the police station in Ikere. I want my daughter back because I don’t want her to die in a slave camp.”

Another parent of Libya slavery from Ikere, Mrs. Bukola Bamise said she was shocked to learn that her daughter had been sold as a slave.

The suspected trafficker, Ogundare, told reporters that she contacted the prophetess to help her find girls interested in jobs in Libya. He claimed he didn’t collect money from the victims.

Ogundare explained that his wife and younger sister are in Libya adding that she told the prophetess to inform the girls’ parents of their destination.

He said: I didn’t collect One Naira from anybody, I have so far taken four persons to Libya while madam (prophetess) had taken nine persons to Libya.

The parents of the victims of Libya has denied getting travel slots from the deputy governor.

Speaking through their counsel, Mr. Dele Adefisayo in a letter signed by him on behalf of the parents, Mrs. Helen Bamise, Madam Margaret, Olorunfemi and Madam Feyisayo Adedara, they said that their children and wards, Miss. Dolapo Bamise, Miss. Titilope Olorunfemi and Miss. Ayomiotan Adedara were lured into the purported travelling abroad arrangement by Mrs. Nike Akomolafe who is a teacher in a public primary school in Ikere village and mother to Miss. Omowunmi Akomolafe who is the Councilor representing Ugele/Arokun Ward, Ikere-Ekiti. Akomolafe has since been detained in police Command in the state, stressing that the matter has nothing to do with the deputy governor.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police warned parents against allowing their children embark on questionable trips.

He said: “The girls were trafficked to Libya on the pretext that they were taking them to Dubai. Information reached their parents that they are suffering and they had been sold out in the slave camp in Libya.

“One of the girls trafficked to Libya is pregnant but was rejected by those buying them because of her pregnancy. We understand that they are suffering seriously in Libya.

“Our advice to parents is that they should be careful of those they entrust their children to. Let them be careful and be sure of the persons they are handing over their children to.”

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