Coalition seeks law to criminalise sex buyers in Nigeria

As part of efforts to combat sex trafficking and prostitution, a Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) has urged Nigerian government to protect “the most marginalized women”.

The group also advocated for a law decriminalising, and reintegrating the victims of prostitution and trafficking through psychosocial support.

The coalition also advocated that the Nigerian government adopted the Sankara Equality model, a legal framework that recognised the system of prostitution as a form of Gender-based violence.

The coalition which includes Space International, Iroko Onlus, and Sisterhood is Global Institute amongst others said they are uniting to support efforts to combat sex trafficking in Nigeria with the screening of a film.

Address journalists in Benin City, Edo State on Thursday, the group said the film titled: “Oloture” highlights the scourge of sex trafficking in Nigeria”.

Besides, the coalition called for action “penalising women exploiters, brothel owners and sex buyers who are the only reason for the exploiters of women in prostitution”.

The Executive Director of Coalition of the Abolition of Prostitution, Jonathan Machler said: “in countries that have adopted penalising sex buyers, we have seen a decrease in the male demand for sex”.

Continuing, Machier noted that vulnerability pushes people to prostitution noting that penalising sex buyers would go a long way in addressing human trafficking and pimp.

Also, Esohe Aghatise, Executive Director of Associazione Iroko Onlus, said Nigerian government needed to put concrete actions in place to tackle human trafficking.

Aghatise said “Lawmakers should form policies that address the demand for sex trafficking.

“We need to change the mindset of seeing women and girls as disposable items. Women and girls should be given same opportunities as men and boys”.

The Executive Secretary, Edo State Task Against Human Trafficking, Itohan Okungbowa, said the establishment of the Taskforce had helped to combat the menace in the State.

Okungbowa said that the task force had secured the conviction of seven traffickers while 47 cases were ongoing in court.