The court of public opinion in the Nigerian state is greatly titled against women in sex work (prostitution). This position of the court of public opinion stemmed from the non recognition of sex work as legitimate work and the laws used in the governance of women. Again the consequence(s) of this position of the court of public opinion on sex work is for the trade to be driven underground thus being prone to human rights abuses. The human rights abuses suffered by women in sex work in Nigeria are in direct contradiction to the principles of the universal human rights declaration of 1948. The crux of matter is whether the Nigerian state and its agents especially when cognizance is given to the universal human declaration have the rights to disparaged women in sex work. Furthermore does the Nigerian “woman” have the right of going into sex work? The attempt to answering to these questions through this paper did inadvertently set the tone and direction for this paper thus the recommendations canvassed herein which includes the women having rights over her body and having the capacity to make rational choices.
Keywords: Abolisionism, Human Rights, Regulations., Sex Work, Universal Human Rights Declarations Sex Worker, and Criminalization.
