24th January, 2011
Officials of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, popularly called Task Force, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State, South-West, Nigeria, have arrested 44 suspected commercial sex workers.
P.M.NEWS gathered that the suspects were arrested at Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRAÂ and Sanusi Fafunwa Street, Victoria Island, Lagos on Saturday night.
Some of the suspects denied being prostitutes but claimed to be either fashion designers, traders or students, who went to their customers when they were arrested.
Others said they were traders who have to stay late on the streets.
One of them, Olaitan Popooola, 18, from Ogun State said: “I am a fashion designer, I went to see my customer at Maryland at about 12 midnight when I was arrested.â€
Popoola, claimed to be residing at Abule Egba area of Lagos State.
Joy Ojeh, 32, from Edo State said: “I was arrested at about 11 p.m. when I was coming from where I had gone to sell pure water.â€
The chairman of the Task Force, Mr. Bayo Sulaiman, a Superintendent of Police, said the suspects were arrested following public complaints about their activities and the nuisance they constituted to the environment.
Officials of the task fore said the suspected prostitute will soon be charged to court.
—Paul Sanusi
