40 ‘Ashawo’ Arraigned In Court Over Alleged Law Violations In Edo State

Over 40 sex workers, popularly known as ‘Ashawo’ were on Wednesday, Nov. 19, arraigned in a mobile court by the Edo State Migration Agency in Benin City, the state capital.

Parading the commercial sex workers before the arraignment, the Director of the Edo State Migration Agency, Honorable Chief Lucky Agazuma said the operation that led to the rounding up of the sex workers was carried out in collaboration with other enforcement bodies, including the Environmental Sanitation and Pollution Management Authorities as part of ongoing efforts to curb human trafficking and reduce the activities of commercial sex workers in the state.

According to an official of the mobile court where they were arraigned, the women were arrested for various crimes including dressing indecently in public, involving in commercial s£x activities, and defacing the city by unlawfully stepping on flowers along major roads while attempting to evade capture.

One of the suspects claimed she was returning from a birthday party with friends when their vehicle was stopped and they were arrested. Another said she had been brought to the location by an unknown person and was soon arrested.

Evidence presented before the court indicated that some of the suspects were not from Edo state and were introduced to the trade by unidentified persons.

Items seized during the raids included sex-enhancing drugs, lubricants, and marijuana.

According to an official of the mobile court, many of the sex workers were convicted and ordered to pay fines while others were assigned community service as part of their penalties.