Court Dismisses Case to Block Arrests of Sex Workers in Abuja

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) from arresting and prosecuting commercial sex workers (CSWs) in the city.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Justice James Omotosho said the application was “incompetent” under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules of 2009. He added that, even if the application had been valid, the reliefs sought were not grantable and dismissed the case for lack of merit.

The lawsuit was filed by the Incorporated Trustee of Lawyers Alert Initiative for Protecting the Rights of Children, Women and the Indigent. The group had named the AEPB, the FCT Minister, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as respondents.

The case, which was brought before the court on May 14, 2024, asked two key questions. The legal team, led by Rommy Mom, Bamidele Jacobs, and Victor Eboh, sought clarification on whether the AEPB’s duties under Section 6 of the AEPB Act, 1997, included the harassment, arrest, and prosecution of women suspected of sex work on the streets of Abuja.

The group also asked the court to rule that charges made by AEPB personnel in the FCT Mobile Court, which referred to arrested women as “articles” and described their bodies as “goods for purchase,” were discriminatory and violated constitutional rights.

However, in his judgment, Justice Omotosho ruled that the application lacked legal grounds and rejected the request for an order to stop the AEPB from arresting sex workers.

The decision comes amid ongoing debates around the treatment of commercial sex workers in Abuja, where the AEPB has carried out several operations aimed at curbing street prostitution.

Details on whether the plaintiff will appeal the ruling have not yet been made available.