Recently in Abuja, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board has been arresting girls arbitrarily late at night. Their offence? They were outside after dark, so they are accused of prostitution.

The story of Hannatu Idris
Analysis by a lawyer

Update: 20 August

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board on Friday carried out another raid in Garki, Abuja.

The raid occurred at Lagos Street, a neighbourhood infamous for commercial sex workers soliciting for customers.

According to one of the women carted off to the AEPB Area 3 office, Zainab Zakari Yayu, this was no ordinary raid. Zainab, a henna designer\artist, whose business is located in the area, the men who arrested her told her she was being taken away because "she dey court with them". Zainab, via telephone, informed Daily Times that she spent the night at the Board's Area 3 office before being taken to an undisclosed location in Lugbe.

Hannatu Idris, whose story was published on this website on Saturday, lives with Zainab Zakari Yayu and her family. They refer to each other as sisters and Zainab accompanied Hannatu to the meeting held on August 19 at the Public Complaints Commission.

None of the AEPB representatives present at the meeting were reachable as at the time of filing this report, including the Board's lead counsel, Eze Enyiam Eze.

19 August

The young woman known as Hannatu Idris has more than a little problem. On June 3, 2011, she was shot in the leg and left bleeding on a sidewalk after a gun battle purportedly between two groups of policemen. On the one side were mobile police officers attached as security detail for the Abuja Environmental Protection Board; and on the other were police allegedly from the Garki Command.

During an interview with Daily Times Nigeria, Hannatu said that she had been forced into an unmarked bus by members of the Board around 8 pm on Thursday, August 2nd, outside Mr. Biggs in Garki 2, on suspicion of prostitution. However, on Friday, representatives of the Abuja Environment Protection Board insist that their staffers only patrol for "prostitutes after midnight" but admitted that due to "logistics problems" the teams that scout for hawkers and commercial sex workers often use the same vehicle. It is yet to be established why exactly Hannatu was picked up at 8.

The AEPB representative made the statement during a meeting organised by the Public Complaints Commission on August 19. During the same meeting, the lead counsel for the AEPB, one Barrister Eze Enyiam Eze, said that the Board was unclear as to whether the young woman present was in fact the Hannatu that was arrested. This statement was made after the National Secretary for the PCC, Mr. Eteng Otu, said that the Board owed some responsibility towards the woman injured on their premises, noting that although investigations are being carried out, the Board ought to "have a human face" and remember that the suspects they arrest are "human beings also". Otu also charged the AEPB to review its interpretation of its Act and mandate to ensure best practices, adding that the Commission would assist in any way possible. He also said "this is not a court , We are not apportioning blame."

bastards. where is boko haram when u need them?

abeg make them leave our ashawos alone joor . dem no dey trouble anybody

Stupid,disjointed story,written by an untrained, baked reporter,probably still battling to pass ume.

disapointing [img]http://2.s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=E6E6E5/txt=E6E6E5/border=E6E6E5/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]
[img]http://s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=E6E6E5/txt=E6E6E5/border=E6E6E5/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]

Arresting prostitutes in Abuja is nothing new.

na wa oooooo

The public complaint commission is a wrong place to go. Go to court

So staying out late automatically qualifies a female as a commercial sex worker? Oga o!And besides why arrest love pedlars in the first place,is that the government's most pressing problem?Bloody hypocrites

:-XBut wait oh, what will a decent lady be doing alone outside by 1 am?