Séx is
now added to the list of things affected by the Lagos State ban on
commercial motorcycles. Who knew ‘okada’ riders had that much impact on
the city’s séxual life?
Recently some journalists went on to investigate how much an influence the ban was on commercial séx
workers in Lagos. According to their report, they seemed the worst hit
by the situation as no ‘okada’ riders spelt no customers.
“Okada riders are our biggest customers but since most of them are now out of work, they don’t patronise us anymore,” one said.
A
report revealed a visit to three brothels within the Alausa community
of Ikeja. The atmosphere in each was sombre; absent was their verve
hallmark.
Esther,
a prostitute in one brothel on Kadiri Street, within Alausa, told our
correspondent that most of her colleagues had gone to other areas of the
state like Allen Avenue, Toyin Street and Obafemi Awolowo Way, all
within Ikeja, where they thought they could get more patrons.
“The brothel owners do not understand that our customers have reduced seriously,” she said in pidgin English.
“Since they banned okada, we do not see men like before again,” she added.
According
to her, before the ban, an average prostitute in the brothel made at
least N3,000 per night an average of N21,000 weekly.
“With
this money, we effectively paid our rent weekly, sent money home to our
aged parents and children for those of us who have, and took care of
ourselves.
“But it is no longer so. We have to go out now and compete with those on the streets for customers,” she lamented.
She however said she did not go out that night because she was in her menstrual cycle which usually lasted three days.
Eki,
one of the prostitutes in a brothel at the ever-busy Ipodo end of
Ikeja, said she did not go out that night because she wanted to take out
time to ponder her next line of action.
The
27-year-old school drop-out from Edo State said she was becoming
frustrated living in the brothel as the patronage had dropped in recent
times.
“I
am currently thinking of relocating. Many of my former colleagues now
operate in parts of Ogun State and they say there is business there.
“I have made attempts to go to some streets at night to get patronage but the fear is that anything could happen to you.
“You
could be arrested in a raid by government people. You can also be
kidnapped by people who come as customers or even taken for ritual
purposes.
“But
in a brothel, the worst is to bribe the police when they come or even
allow them sleep with you for free and you are allowed to continue your
business,” she said.
She
said since the ban on okada, she made between N1, 000 and N2, 000
against the N4,000 and N6,000 she made before the government action.
She
hinted that some of the prostitutes in the state had started relocating
to neighbouring areas like Mowe, Ibafo and Sango-Ota in Ogun State.
At
another brothel at Ipodo, the prostitutes there confirmed that business
had reduced as they no longer make as much as they did before the ban
on okada.
One
of the prostitutes who later gave her name as Daniella, told NE after
two bottles of beer that the okada ban had affected them as many of
their customers are commercial motorcyclists.
“This is where they came to ease their stress and we made good money.
“You
know many of the okada riders do not have houses, so with this place,
many of them spend the night happy sleeping in our rooms for a token and
making us perform ‘extra-services’ for them at the agreed amount.
“Though we are still patronised, it is not like what it used to be,” the 29-year-old lady from Benue complained.
Asked
if she was not thinking of marriage, she retorted: “Tell me you want to
marry me now, now and I will quit. Na money I dey find and once you say
you go fit take care of me, I go follow you go house right now.”
A commercial séx
worker, Juliana, said she had come to stand by the road in that area
since she recently discovered that customers to the brothel she operates
located close to the Akiyode Bus Stop on Ojodu Road had reduced
drastically.
“Before
now, we always stayed in our brothel and got customers, but since they
have reduced, me and my friends have decided to go all out in search for
them. Man must eat now!” she said.
She
said that she would accept N1,000 for short-time and that if it is
throughout the night, she would collect N4,000 on the condition that she
and the customer would make use of her brothel room.
“If it is short-time, you can do it around any dark area here. It doesn’t take long now; 15 minutes and you are done.
“But
if it throughout the night, I won’t follow you home sha! We will go to
my room and have it,” she said, adding that she was scared of a stranger
to his home.
On
Allen Avenue, the price varies between N1, 000 and N3, 000 for
short-time depending on how the prostitute views the customers
However,
it gets ridiculously cheap in the wee hours of the morning, when the
number of men on the streets drops. Some of the girls can go for as low
as N200 for short-time.
One of the séx
hawkers, known as just Theresa and said she was a student of a
polytechnic, she explained that for short-time, she and her colleagues
just take their customers to dark corners or behind buildings “to have
it done”.
“If the customer has a car, then better. We just enter his car, he parks and I service him.
“That’s why we wear skimpy skirts, most times with G-strings or nothing under, for easy access in the case of short-time.
“We
do follow some customers home but most of us are now scared, especially
at this period when we believe there are more ritualists in town.”
Competition for customers has increased for these girls and they blame most of it on the ban.
Many
of them say they are now forced to move to the streets and be at risk
at night in desperate search for patrons instead of staying within the
brothels for the customers.
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