The Lagos State Special Offences Court at Oshodi has sentenced 12 women to eight months imprisonment for prostitution.
They were arraigned for offences bordering on prostitution and breach of public peace. The offences contravene Section 142(1)(a)(b) and 168(1) (d) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.
While 12 out of 19 suspects bagged eight months imprisonment, seven others who pleaded not guilty were remanded in prison custody until December 18 for further hearing.
“As part of consolidated efforts exhausted towards reducing the spate of environmental infractions in the Obalende area of the State, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) popularly known as KAI on Wednesday secured the conviction of 12 Commercial Sex Workers (CSW) to 8 months imprisonment for offences bordering on prostitution, breach of peace during a dislodgement operation led by the Corps Marshal of the agency,” Ajayi Lukman, Head, Public Affairs and Advocacy at LAGESC, said in a statement.
Applauding the court judgement, the Corps Marshal of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd), warned that any arrested defaulter would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
He said, “The THEMES agenda of Mr. Governor clearly stated the need for Lagos to be habitable for business and the situation at Obalende has deteriorated over time, prompting the need for us to launch a large-scale enforcement operation against these nefarious elements that want to desecrate our environment which resulted in arrests and multiple secured convictions.”
The KAI boss also read the riot act to street traders and hawkers, urging them to refrain from the display of wares for sale on setbacks, lay-bys, medians, road verges, kerbs, and gutter slabs; just as he enjoined pedestrians alike to make use of the pedestrian bridges when crossing highways as defaulters will be arrested and prosecuted.