Residents lament daily abuse of underage girls at Calabar guesthouse

Residents living near a guesthouse in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, have expressed concern over the alleged daily rape of girls between ages of 12 and 15 occurring at the facility.

The facility, situated on Nkese Effiong Street, close to the Federal Correctional Centre in the Afokang area, shares a wall with a neighbouring residential building.

A local resident, wishing to remain anonymous, reported that despite a recent police raid on the hotel—it is second in a month—three more girls were taken and confined there just two days ago.

“It is common for men to be brought in to take turns abusing the young girls,” the resident noted. “The victims, who are under 15 of age, are frequently mistreated, forced to consume liquids and inhale substances”

Another eyewitness living nearby corroborated that the neighbourhood was buzzing with excitement when the police conducted a raid last week.

She recounted that an incident occurred there a fortnight ago, where a father arrived at the guesthouse and found his daughter being pulled inside by one of the perpetrators upon seeing him.

Nigerian Tribune gathered from a reliable source connected to the Divisional Police Officer in the Mbukpa area that the manager of the guesthouse is currently in custody. A police source stated, “We are detaining the manager concerning allegations related to the rape of a 15-year-old girl.”

The state’s Commissioner of Police, Gyogen Grimah, indicated that the DPO is actively addressing the situation and will soon provide him with an official report.

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