TheCable

A coalition of women’s rights activists, development workers and academics have called on the federal government to investigate the arrest and alleged abuse of over 100 women in night clubs in Abuja by the police.

Some police officers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had on April 17 raided a popular night club in Abuja, Caramelo and arrested over 30 women whom they said were sex workers.

A repeat of the raid was carried out on Sunday where another 70 women were apprehended.

Condemning the attack in a joint statement, the signatories, said the act was a violation of the rights of the women.

They alleged that the victims were physically and sexually assaulted in detention.

Questioning the non-arrest of male guests and club owners, they demanded the release and compensation of the women adding that any officer found guilty of abusing them be brought to justice.

“These agents who raided a night club the “Caramelo night club” on two different occasions within one week (17th and 26th April) in Abuja, arrested several women, who were severally assaulted and sexually harassed, with some raped, leaving injuries in the vaginas of some of the arrested women,” the statement read.

“Many were psychologically traumatised by the experience. It appears that the FCTA joint task team had unilaterally, and without respect for the rule of law, chosen to contain any environmental nuisance the night club allegedly was causing. It targeted and violated young women in the club, particularly dancers and strippers.

“We were further shocked by the reports that a mobile court at the old parade ground in Area 10, Abuja in the afternoon of 29th April 2019, convicted many of these women in unfair trials and some of them sentenced to prison or fine for an offence that is unknown to law.

“These raids by the FCT Joint Task Force are in contravention to the laws and treaties which Nigeria is bound to upload.

“We therefore demand, that the federal authorities particularly the Police and the FCT Minister to, investigate all the allegations of abuse, ill-treatment and violence including rape and other forms of sexual assaults, to which these women were subjected, and where the agents are found culpable, prosecute them before a competent court without delay.”

The signatories to the statement include ACTS Generation, Alliances for Africa ,Amnesty International Nigeria, Betty Abah, Bridget Osakwe, CEE-HOPE Nigeria, Change Managers International Network, Country Associates Network (CANET), Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives (ECOWA),

Others are Education is a Vaccine, Equity Advocates, Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI), Girl Child Africa, Women Environmental Programme, Women for Peace and Gender Equality Initiative, Women Foundation Nigeria 35, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Nigeria, Women’s Rights and Health Project.