More than 500 commercial sex workers
in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, took to the streets protesting
the incessant and indiscriminate arrests and extortion of their members
by the FCT Special Task Team on City Cleaning and Management, reports
say.
The prostitutes under the aegis of the
National Association of Nigerian Prostitutes (NANP), expressed their
anger after more than 3,000 of their members were arrested in various
raids in the last three months by the FCT officials in different parts
of the capital city.
Parading the town with different placards with inscriptions like: 'Ashewo work na work';
'Allow us to hustle for our daily bread'; and 'Legalize prostitution
now', the scarlet ladies showed their dismay at the way their members
are molested daily by different task forces and security operatives.
One of the ladies who said her name is Loveth, narrated their experiences to our source: "We
are Nigerians too and we only go about seeking our daily livelihood, so
I see no reason why they should be harassing, arresting us and
extorting money from us.
These same men are the ones who patronize us but during the day, they will be molesting us.
What
crimes have we committed? Many of us are graduates who could not secure
jobs, so we hustle to make ends meet. We have families and
responsibilities to meet, so they should allow us to work and make
money.
Many of us do not like selling
ourselves for money but what can we do? We are not thieves; we are not
members of the political class who steal Nigeria's money. If the
government want us to stop what we are doing, they should provide jobs
for us. We are tired of the daily harassment.
Enough is enough; prostitution should be legalized in Nigeria."
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