By Peter.
In a sweeping operation on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, more than 40 women suspected of engaging in commercial sex work were rounded up in Benin City and immediately arraigned before a mobile court. The raid, described by authorities as part of an ongoing campaign against human trafficking and street solicitation, was jointly executed by the Edo State Migration Agency, the Environmental Sanitation and Pollution Management Authority, and other security units.
Parading the suspects before journalists, Director of the Edo State Migration Agency, Hon. Chief Lucky Agazuma, said the exercise was aimed at “sanitising the city, curbing human trafficking, and reducing the open display of prostitution, especially along major roads and nightlife areas.”
Charges laid against the women included:
- Indecent dressing in public
- Engaging in commercial sex activities
- Defacing public property (stepping on flowers and lawns while fleeing arrest)
Items recovered during the operation reportedly included condoms, lubricants, sex-enhancing drugs, and small quantities of marijuana.
Mixed reactions have trailed the raid. While some residents praised the government for “cleaning up the streets,” others criticised the operation as heavy-handed and humiliating.
Voices from the Dock
Several of the women protested their innocence:
- One claimed she was returning from a friend’s birthday party when their vehicle was flagged down and everyone inside was bundled away.
- Another said she had been dropped off by an unknown person near the area and was arrested minutes later.
- A few admitted to sex work but insisted they were coerced or trafficked from neighbouring states.
Court officials confirmed that evidence suggested a number of the women were not originally from Edo State and had been recruited into prostitution by unidentified syndicates.
Sentences Handed Down
After swift proceedings in the mobile court:
- Most of the women were convicted and fined amounts ranging from ₦10,000 to ₦30,000 each.
- Those unable to pay immediately were sentenced to community service, including street sweeping and cleaning public facilities.
- No custodial jail terms were reported.
The Edo State government has intensified anti-prostitution and anti-trafficking drives in recent years, with Benin City long labelled one of West Africa’s major transit hubs for human trafficking to Europe. Critics, however, argue that criminalising sex workers rather than targeting traffickers and clients does little to solve the root problem.
As the women were led away — some in tears, others defiant — the operation has reignited the national debate: Is this public safety and urban renewal, or the criminalisation of poverty and survival?
#BeninCityRaid #EdoState #HumanTrafficking #SexWorkNG
