and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit last night
stormed Isaac John and Toyin Street in Ikeja, Lagos,
Southwest Nigeria and arrested 52 suspected
commercial sex hawkers.
The task force acted on a report published in The NEWS
magazine of this week about commercial sex hawkers
taking over the area and that yesterday was going to be
the ladies' night.
The task force officials first of all carried out a survey of
the area around 10 pm and went back to the office to
strategise only to strike around 12 am and arrested the
suspected prostitutes whose ages range between 18
and 34 years.
They were taken to the task force office in a Black Maria.
The raid was massive as several armed policemen
carried out the onslaught.
Task force Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman confirmed the
arrest when contacted, saying that there had been
complaints and public outcry over the invasion of
commercial sex hawkers in Isaac John and Toyin Street
junction where there is a popular hotel whose owner
also runs a night club.
"Isaac John is where we have the Government House
and it is a criminal offence to engage in harlotry by the
sides of the road. The people in the area have been
crying over the upsurge of prostitutes in the area and
the traffic gridlock by the night club," he said. Sulaiman
stated that the hotel and its night club had been causing
untold traffic menace around Toyin Junction, saying that
the owner of the joints had been served notice to abate
the nuisance going on in the area.
"We have told the owner to desist from obstructing traffic
in the area. We will not tolerate this anymore," he said.
Sulaiman warned that the task force would extend the
raid on commercial sex hawkers to Lagos Island, Ikoyi
and Victoria Island where their activities had been on
the increase, while urging those still in the trade to stop
it as the wrath of the law would soon catch up with them.
"The state government will no longer condone this act of
prostitution. These people are bad example to the
youths. We have taken their photographs and finger
print individually and when we apprehend them the
second time, the punishment will be severe.
"We acted based on TheNEWS magazine report that
Wednesday was going to be ladies' night. We had to
wait for that time and we struck and arrested them," he
stated.
The task force boss said the arrested commercial sex
hawkers would be charged to court today, saying those
convicted would be punished according to the dictates
of the law.
He, however, said contrary to reports that once the
prostitutes were arrested, some 'big boys' would settle
task force officials to effect their release, the task force
did not take money from anybody.
"We have arraigned several of them in court in the past
and we had gotten conviction on some of them. The
issue of collecting money is out of it. The so-called 'big
boys' in the club don't settle us," he said.