By Tina Amanda
A 20-year-old woman from Ebonyi State, Iwoh Onyemachi, who escaped from forced prostitution at a popular brothel known as “49” near Azikiwe/Ojoto Roundabout, Mile 2 Diobu, Port Harcourt, has shared her ordeal.
Speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, December 1, 2024, Onyemachi stated that commercial sex work is considered taboo in her community.
Miss Onyemachi revealed that she was deceived by a woman, identified as Ms. Joy, who lured her to Port Harcourt under the pretense of providing her with a legitimate job.
“Joy called me two weeks ago, saying she had a job opportunity for me in Port Harcourt. I knew her from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where she operated a boutique,” Onyemachi recounted.
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“On Wednesday, November 27, 2024, I traveled from Ebonyi to Port Harcourt. However, to my surprise, Joy took me to a brothel. That’s when I realized she had brought me for prostitution.
“I told her I couldn’t do such work, but she stopped me from leaving, saying I should wait until the manager arrived. I cried and begged, but she wouldn’t let me go.”
She narrated how she seized an opportunity to escape the following morning. “On Thursday morning, I grabbed my bag and ran out of the brothel. Joy and some of the other workers tried to stop me, but people in the area intervened and rescued me.”
Miss Onyemachi, still recovering from the trauma, thanked those who came to her aid. Business owners and passersby, many of whom were also from Ebonyi State, contributed money to help her return to her hometown.
She was later escorted to a motor park on Ikwerre Road to board a vehicle back to Ebonyi State.
Reports indicate that the incident was not reported to the police.
Further investigations by our correspondent revealed a growing trend where older commercial sex workers deceive families in rural areas by promising job opportunities for their daughters. Once in urban centers like Port Harcourt, these young women are coerced into prostitution.
Miss Onyemachi’s case underscores the urgent need for awareness and intervention to curb such exploitation and protect vulnerable young women.
