Girls of the night at Abuja’s red light districts are feeling the heat of a clampdown against them spearheaded by The Social Development Secretariat (SDS).
SDS is at the forefront of a campaign which seeks to rid Abuja of commercial sex workers.
Major places used to ply the oldest profession on earth in the Federal Capital Territory are nowadays deserted.
A quick visit to Aminu Kano and Ademola Adetokumbo, in Wuse II and another journey to Maitama, Asokoro, Apo, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Karu, Garki, Wuse shows that the ladies are afraid to come out and openly flaunt their wares ad the hitherto did.
One sex worker who ventured to speak when asked why it was diffcult get ladies to pickup for a night cap said in pidgin:
“Wetin you want make the girls do as FCT madam don order him boys to ensure say all the prostitutes vanish from Abuja streets?” the prostitute fired back. “Every night, FCT people dey patrol all these places. If them catch you, na to carry you go their centre. Some of us wey still dey come here, na big risk, because dem don warn us say we go go jail if we no vacate Abuja streets.”
The Abuja madam, Mrs Blessing Onuh who heads, the SDS shares the strategies her organisation’s is using to stem the tide of prostitution in Abuja:
“Commercial sex workers have an association and we have met with them. They said their problem was economic hardship. We train and counsel them. We give each N100,000 after training. But to effectively tackle their case, we need the NGOs to assist. It was a godly mission, rehabilitating these girls. Many of them were in the trade just to keep body and soul together. The centre gave them a new lease of life and they can now hold their heads up high as responsible citizens of Nigeria.”
Within the last three years, Mrs. Onuh said: “The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, on assumption of office approved the establishment of the Women Rehabilitation Centre, Sabon Lugbe to provide vocational skills to repentant sex workers. The Center has so far graduated over 3,000 vulnerable women since its inception.”
“Just recently, 194 trainees graduated from the two centers with each of them receiving N100,000 as support from government to enable them start businesses. I am proud to say that most of those that have been trained are doing well in their trades. The secretariat recently concluded the training of about 90 women beggars at the Karinmajiji settlement. The women were registered in cooperatives groups and given monetary assistance by the Secretariat.”