The Ashanti Regional Security Council is embarking on an exercise to clamp down on prostitutes and their patrons because it is illegal and a public nuisance.

 Thirty-six Nigerian prostitutes arrested in the exercise have already been repatriated.

 The Council says prostitution has become a bad influence on minors resulting in increasing child prostitution in the region.

Regional Minister and Chairman of the REGSEC, Simon Osei Mensah, says the Council is supporting the police and the Immigration Service to flush out foreign prostitutes.

"When you go to Danyame area in the night, you find them scattered all over the place and I don't think it's healthy for us and we have to eradicate that one," he said.

Photo: Some members of the Ashanti Regional Security Council

The Police and Immigration Service personnel have since the beginning of this year picked up and prosecuted dozens of commercial sex workers in Kumasi and other towns.

Thirty-six of them, all Nigerians, arrested in Kumasi and Konongo between January and April have been sent back to their country.

“Sixteen Nigerian prostitutes were also repatriated after they were arrested in Konongo by Immigration officers and policemen on the 29th of January 2019. We've also repatriated 20 Nigerian prostitutes in collaboration with the police this year," Regional Director of the Immigration, Michael Kwadede, said.

Mr Osei Mensah who chairs REGSEC said growing prostitution involving minors cannot be allowed to go on.

He made the comment at the first-ever meet the press series organised by REGSEC to address security concerns in the region.

"Those who are arrested, you do find minors. Some [of them] are below 16-years; some around 14, 15 years all indulging in such illegal activity,” he said.

Mr. Osei Mensah first wants the public to desist from patronising the services of the prostitutes.

"The whole thing is demand and supply. If the demand is not there, the supply won't be there. Because we are patronising, that is why they always go there; they find it to be lucrative,” he noted.

He announced that patrons of services of prostitutes will also be arrested and prosecuted.

"It is time we have to do some of the arrest involving those who are also patronising because if you don't go there, they would go and stand there the whole night, nobody calls them the whole night, I don't think tomorrow they will come back," he said.