The State Urban Development Board stormed the place at about 3.12pm on Monday with over 50 armed police personnel, alleging that the brothels were being used a hideouts by kidnappers and other criminals.
The commercial sex workers quickly mobilised and set the remaining structures at the cattle market ablaze shortly after the demolition, accusing the ASUDEP officials of trying to “give a dog a bad name in order to hang it”.
The leader of the sex workers, who gave her name as Rachael, during an interview, described the action of the government officials as wicked and inhuman for destroying their “business centre without notice”.
She added, “We are decent people. We do our business and go our way. We don’t habour criminals. After all, most of the people that visit us are government officials. They want me to expose them?
“They destroyed our centre and left behind other huts, kiosks and canteens that belong to the Hausa cattle traders. Is that justice? Don’t those ones habour kidnappers and criminals?”
She threatened that the sex workers, numbering over 2,000, would embark on a four-day strike, starting from Wednesday, to register their grievances against the government’s action.
“We want to tell them that they are the people patronising us,” Rachael said.
Tags
Society