Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu Ask Senate To Legalise Prostitution In Nigeria.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu yesterday asked the Senate to consider the possibility of legalising prostitution in the country.

Speaking during debate on a motion on the scourge of human trafficking in the country, Ekweremadu said since it has become impossible to stop prostitution in the land, the Senate should consider regulating the act in the country.

According to him “we need to regulate prostitution in this country so that if anyone wants to indulge in prostitution, the person should be registered and issued with a license. If we say we want to stop it, it would be difficult. It is done in other countries; let us regulate it by issuing license.”

Also speaking on the matter, Senate President David Mark said it is difficult to stop the act of prostitution saying “the FCT administration has been trying to stop but they are facing stiff resistance because the prostitutes have their association and even their own legal adviser. It is a reasonably organised bad profession.”

While debating on the motion that centred on human trafficking, several senators advocated for amendment to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Act to provide for capital punishment for those involved in human trafficking.

The position followed a motion on the scourge of human trafficking in the country moved by Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta (PDP, Niger East) and 33 other senators.

In his motion, Kuta said though NAPTIP is struggling to tackle the menace of human trafficking in the country, “the situation has been on the increase and has been identified as the world’s fastest growing criminal industry, second only to drug trafficking and fraud.

In his contribution, Senator Uche Chukwumerije (PDP, Abia) said “we should upgrade the punishment for human trafficking to capital punishment. Equally to be joined are all the security personnel that are along the route where it take place. I don’t believe that it is happening without the knowledge of the security agencies along the entry and exit points.”

Also commenting, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (PDP, Borno South) said there is need for more punitive measures to end the menace saying “human trafficking is not only in terms of export. We have house boys and girls in the country that don’t have any future. Most of them are not even up to the age specified by law. They work for so many years and all they get is commendation without any form of future.”

On his part, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed (CPC, Kaduna North) expressed worry on the ugly dimension of human ritual to the crime of trafficking in persons. He revealed several instances of victims kidnapped and used for ‘devil worship’.

After the debate, Senate directed its committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters to carry out further legislative action on the matter and report back to the whole Senate.

Source Nigerian newspapers