On January 25, a police officer named Vasvi zbey testified in court about the arrest of four people in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Sharon Blessing Chibuike, Promise Ben David, Chinedu Emmanuel Ibekweo, and Esther Montse, for allegedly running a prostitution ring.
The suspects are facing charges of forced detention with the intent of prostitution, encouragement of prostitution, prostitution, and intentional sexual detention. The police had acted on a complaint filed by “OA” at the Nicosia Judicial Branch on January 23.
According to the testimony, Blessing Chibuike lived in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, with OA, whom they had brought from Nigeria to enroll as a student in Turkey.
The suspects allegedly withheld OA’s passport and forced her to engage in prostitution in exchange for money.
A search warrant was obtained from the Nicosia District Court, but no one could be identified at the address.
On January 24, the police obtained a court order to take in the suspects for prosecution.
Two notebooks found at the address are now being used as evidence.
The suspects claim that they are not guilty of the charges against them.
Judge Nil Elodie Çeliker ordered that they be remanded in police custody as the investigation continues.
The case highlights the ongoing issue of human trafficking and exploitation in the region and the need for effective law enforcement efforts to combat it.
