FCTA queries task force member over extortion of sex workers

A member of a task force of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has been queried for allegedly extorting money and demanding sex from prostitutes and strippers.

The acting Secretary of the Social Development Secretariat, Hajiya Safiya Umar, who spoke with our reporter on telephone yesterday, said action had been taken on the task force member who released some of arrested girls illegally.

“Already, a query has been served to him after which a committee will be set up to investigate the matter, and if guilty, he would be removed from the task force team.

“We don’t tolerate indiscipline, so he must not go unpunished. What we are trying to do is to make sure we remove all these prostitutes from the streets of Abuja and keep it clean,” she said.

Some of the prostitutes and strippers who were arrested last Friday and arraigned on Monday in a mobile court at the Old Parade Ground, Garki 10, accused the unnamed official of demanding money or sex from them.

Comfort Abbah, who made the allegation at the venue of the court’s sitting, said the official released those who succumbed to his demands.

Umar noted that 32 girls were arrested at various red light zones in the city on Friday by the task force in an operation she led.

She expressed shock that her staff illegally released 27 without her approval.

“I must be honest with you, I have been very disappointed because we carried out the arrest of 32 girls on Friday. My staff decided to give out 27 of them without my knowledge. When I got a wind of that, I ordered them to find and return the girls. Following that order, they went out on Saturday and arrested a different set of girls and mixed up with the remaining ones.

“I don’t think I will be comfortable to be part of this exercise, if my staff will release the apprehended girls. I am going to address the issue and sanction those responsible,” she said when the story broke out on Monday.