The Federal Government of Nigeria has vowed to sanction hoteliers who lodge underage and teenage girls in their hotels starting on June 20, News About Nigeria reports.
Reading the riot acts at the ‘Unlock Training and Grants’ ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, directed hoteliers, especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to mount a signpost outside their hotels, warning prospective clients against lodging underage girls in their facilities.
She said, “Nigeria must be better. From 20th (June), we have directed hotels to put a sign outside from the Ministry of Women. No lodging of underage girls. Otherwise, what happened in Niger State will be an understatement of what will happen in the FCT and I mean it.
“No more lodging of underage girls and no more bullying in schools.”
A video clip showing a 15-year-old boy being accosted while attempting to lodge two females and another guy into a hotel room went viral on social media in April 2022.
But as the voice behind the camera tried to question the teenage schoolgirls about their mission in a hotel, they ran away.
In January 2023, some Federal Government College students in Ijanikin, Lagos, were discovered to have absconded from class to host female classmates for sex-related hotel stays.
The students, who were all boarders and ranged in age from 14 to 17, were alleged to have climbed the school fence with their female peers on several occasions and missed days of class.
Speaking further, Kennedy-Ohanenye announced during a press conference that the Federal Government (FG) has initiated an investigation into the scandalous video that went viral featuring ten Nigerian minors who were saved from neighbouring Ghana, where they were being trafficked for prostitution.
She said, “Women are suffering in this country. Today, we have talked about the need to allow the poor to breathe in this country.
“Meanwhile, I am sure you saw the video circulating about our girls taken to Ghana. Did you see it? Very good. Action will start on Monday. You will hear about our action first thing on Monday morning. That is the first thing I am going to approach and see what we can do about it.”
The ‘Unlock Training and Grants’, which saw 200 young entrepreneurs receive N100 million, was organised by Abiola Arogundade, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Education.
