Court Rejects Abuja Sex Workers’ Suit, Declines To Legalise Prostitution
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to legalise prostitution and enforce the rights of commercial sex workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, on Wednesday, the court ruled that prostitution is an immoral act that contradicts the cultural values of all ethnic groups in Nigeria.
It also held that there is no legal protection for sex workers under the Nigerian Constitution or any existing law.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/642/2024, was filed by a Non-Governmental Organisation, Lawyers Alert Initiative for Protection of Rights of Children, Women, and Indigent, on behalf of Abuja-based prostitutes.
The applicants sought to prevent the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) from arresting, intimidating, or prosecuting them.
Other respondents in the case included the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The applicants, represented by lawyer Rommy Mom, argued that their right to engage in sex work was protected under the fundamental human rights provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
They also challenged the AEPB’s powers under Section 6 of the AEPB Act, 1997, questioning whether it extended to the arrest and prosecution of women suspected of engaging in sex work.
They sought a declaration that referring to arrested women as “articles Jordan Brand had the tough task of following up the widely successful , Air Jordan 1 Retro Low OG Black Dark Powder Blue UK 11 , Fenua-environnementShops Marketplace” or treating new air jordan Bordeaux 1 mid j white red black their bodies as “goods for purchase” was discriminatory and violated Section 42 of the Constitution.
They also asked the court to restrain the AEPB from harassing or arresting women suspected of prostitution.
However, Justice Omotosho ruled that prostitution remains a criminal offence under the Penal Code nike revolution 7, with offenders liable to a two-year jail term.
He held that the application was incompetent and lacked merit, stating, “This court wonders what kind of message the applicant is sending when it decided to bring an action to protect prostitutes. A reasonable person would have expected that the applicant would instead occupy itself with developing the girl child and protecting the sanctity of womanhood instead of promoting immorality and the spread of sexual diseases. It is indeed shameful that the applicant should file an action such as this.”
The judge further ruled that prostitutes, by their actions, are committing an offence and can be legally arrested.
He likened their case to a robber claiming the right to personal liberty, warning that such reasoning could lead to lawlessness.
“Allowing prostitutes to have free reign on the streets of Abuja will, in no time, destroy the moral fibre of the city and turn it into a hotbed of immorality. This court will not allow such to happen air jordan 1 low og florida gators pe,” Justice Omotosho stated.
He dismissed comparisons to countries where prostitution is legal, insisting that African cultural values must guide human rights interpretations.
He argued that prostitution is “alien to our culture” and has always been considered “a deeply immoral act worthy of shame.”
Concluding his judgment, he upheld the right of the AEPB to arrest and prosecute prostitutes, declaring, “I therefore hold that this application filed by the applicant has no basis and the rights claimed are unenforceable in light of the provisions of Section 45 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Preamble to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
