By Ifeoluwa Odunayo
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to legalize prostitution in Nigeria, ruling that the practice remains unlawful and contrary to the nation’s cultural values.
Justice James Omotosho, in his verdict, affirmed the authority of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and security agencies to arrest individuals engaged in commercial sex work.
He maintained that no legal provision grants prostitutes the right to operate freely.
The case, filed by the Lawyers Alert Initiative on behalf of sex workers in Abuja, sought to stop the FCT Minister, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), from arresting or prosecuting them. However, the court ruled that their claims lacked legal merit.
