Commercial sex workers in the Federal Capital Territory have lost out in their suit seeking to operate without intimidation from security agencies and its operatives in Nigeria’s capital city.
The sex workers also prayed the court to enforce their fundamental human right to engage in their business of prostitution as allegedly enshrined in Nigerian law.
However, in its Wednesday, March 12, judgement, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja dismissed the suit seeking fundamental human rights of the sex workers and their operations in the FCT.
Justice James Omotosho in his judgement declared that the sex workers have no legal right whatsoever, under any known law or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Omotosho also said that the sex workers can be arrested and prosecuted and possibly face jail terms for up to years under the Penal Code.
The suit against the FCT, security operatives and their agencies and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board was filed following harassment, arrests, intimidation and prosecution of sex workers within the capital city.
According to the judge, the plaintiffs’ application was incompetent. He said, had the reverse been the case (in terms of competence of the suit), the relief sought by the sex workers cannot be granted for lack of merit.
