FCTA rehabilitates 452 ‘stranded’ commercial sex workers

The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA said as part of efforts to sanitize the nation’s capital, it has recently succeeded in taking off 452 stranded commercial sex workers from the streets and rehabilitated them.

This was as it disclosed how it sent approximately N24 million in apprehending, evacuating and rehabilitating beggars and destitute in the FCT between January and June 2021.

Mandate Secretary, FCT Social Development Secretariat SDS, Hajia Hadiza Kabir, disclosed this at a news conference Tuesday in Abuja.

Kabir noted that the two FCT Administration had “scaled up actions to develop a capital city that has a socially friendly environment devoid of moral bankruptcy”.

According to her, the regular clampdown on some red-light zones and arrest of commercial sex workers was a social responsibility through which the secretariat rescues young women from drugs and other forms of criminalities,  while providing them with meaningful means of livelihoods. 

The Secretary explained that with the trainings and skills acquired  by the rehabilitated commercial sex workers, and the starter packs given to them, they were expected to contribute hugely to the country’s GDP.

She said the secretariat also rehabilitated mentally unstable/impaired persons and repatriated most of thenlm to their states of origin. 

Though the secretariat was silent on the state of origins of the repatriated persons, Hajia Kabir said the administration did refer cases to several state liaison offices, hospitals, orphanages, police and immigration offices during the period. 

Reacting to questions on what the Administration is doing to end Gender-Based Violence (GBV) the Director Gender, Mrs. Grace Yilo, said that the FCTA is embarking on massive sensitization and campaign on the dangers of GBV in the society.

On efforts being put in place to make the Mpape Crush Rock site a global tourist attraction, the Director Tourism in the secretariat, Mrs. Ijeoma Ochonu, said the FCTA is currently working with relevant agencies to ensure safety of visitors and tourists to the site.