SEX WORKERS JAILED IN ABUJA
ELEVEN commercial sex workers were yesterday sentenced to one month imprisonment by an Abuja magistrate court for constituting nuisance in the city.
The convicted sex workers are Michael Adebisi, Vera Emmanuel, Fati Borno, Blessing Jacob, Samuel Helen, Helen Ogboma, Poverty Otoma, Maimuna Alkali, Juliet James, Joy john and Lillian Dickson.
Four others, Esther Haruna, Blessing Jacob, Victoria Emmanuel and Mariam Haruna were granted bail after pleading not guilty to the one count charge.
The prosecutor, Barrister Eze E. Eze, had earlier told the court that the accused were arrested in the streets of Abuja while soliciting men for commercial purposes adding that at their action constitutes nuisance in the city.
He said their actions also contradict Section 35 (1) of the AEPB Act No 10 of 1997.
When the charge was read to the accused persons, 11them pleaded guilty and promised not to do it again.
Four others pleaded not guilty while the counsel to Esther Haruna and Blessing Jacob, Barrister Umar Khuzafa, urged the court to release the accused persons on bail pending the determination of the case.
The prosecutor urged the court to try the accused persons summarily under Section 157 of the Criminal Procedure Code and fixed a date for hearing on those that denied the allegation, informing that Fatima Borno and Helen Ogbona were previously comic ted by the court on the same offence.
Magistrate Aminu Abdullahi sentenced nine of the sex workers to one month imprisonment each with a fine of N5, 000 and granted those that denied the charge bail with a reasonable surety each.
He sentenced Fatima Borno and Helen Ogbona to two weeks imprisonment without option of fine and also to pay N5, 000 as fine each, having being told that they are ex-convicts.
Daily Trust Thursday 4th November 2010
Page 47
By Usman A. Bello, Kudirat B.Salaudeen & Victoria A. Ochu
