Edo State has been rocked by serious allegations of extortion and human rights violations following a raid on commercial sex workers in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) of Benin City.
The incident, which occurred on the night of Monday, August 4, 2025, was carried out by officials of the Edo State Migration Agency as part of its ongoing efforts to clamp down on sex work and drug trafficking within the state.
According to multiple victims, over 30 women were arrested during the operation and taken to the agency’s facility, where they were profiled and recorded on video. The women allege that they were asked to pay between ₦15,000 and ₦50,000 each in exchange for assurances that their videos would not be released to the public.
However, despite complying with the demand, many of the affected women were horrified to later discover that the videos were posted online without their faces being blurred, circulating widely on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Speaking to journalists, one of the women said: “I am still in shock. I haven’t been myself since Thursday. The Edo State Migration Agency recorded us and promised not to post the videos after collecting ₦50,000 from each of us. But they went ahead and posted them. I have proof of the payment through POS.”
Another woman shared her experience: “On Friday evening, they raided us along Ihama Street. About 30 of us were picked up and detained. They told us to pay ₦50,000 so the videos wouldn’t go online. But days later, my family called, saying they saw the video. They’ve disowned me. They said I brought shame to the family.”
The women claim they made the payments to one Uyinmwen Uyigue, whom they identified as the individual responsible for collecting the money. POS receipts provided by the victims show transactions to Uyigue’s account. According to the women, Uyigue acted as a go-between for the Edo State Migration Agency, assuring them the videos would not be released once payments were made.
When reached for comment, Mr. Uyigue confirmed receiving payments from four women but denied acting on behalf of the Migration Agency. Instead, he insisted that the money collected was a fine imposed by lodge operators in the area for sex workers caught soliciting publicly.
Uyigue explained: “The payment was not to the Migration Agency. It was a disciplinary measure agreed upon by lodge owners under the Benin GRA Hospitality Forum. We agreed that any girl caught hawking on the street would pay ₦50,000. Drug dealers and prostitutes are affecting our businesses. We’re just trying to sanitize the environment.”
He added that the association met with the Migration Agency, which supported efforts to discourage street-level sex work, but denied that the agency had anything to do with the fine or the handling of the videos.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Edo State Migration Agency, Mr. Lucky Agazuma, strongly denied all allegations of extortion and illegal video circulation. He emphasized that the agency is well-funded and focused on rehabilitating and reintegrating victims of trafficking and commercial sex work.
Agazuma stated: “We have never extorted sex workers. Our mission is to rehabilitate them. We’ve met with brothel operators and agreed not to disturb them as long as they don’t harbour underage girls. Unfortunately, during our operations, some brothels were found to be keeping minors. Those involved have been prosecuted.”
He went further to explain the broader context of the agency’s efforts, highlighting serious cases of organ harvesting and international trafficking uncovered in the state: “A couple who trafficked a young girl to Mali are now in prison. We also arrested a native doctor who was administering oaths on trafficked girls. Our work is focused on rescuing and protecting victims, not exploiting them.”
As the dust settles, civil rights advocates are calling for an independent investigation into the matter. They stress the need to uphold the dignity and rights of every citizen, including those engaged in sex work, and to ensure that any abuse of power by public or private actors is met with appropriate legal consequences.