Arrowed: spot on Tinubu Street where the ladies solicit for sex
Bros,
how far? You wan f***ck?” Those were the magic words; the phrase has
become the trade call of the ladies of the night who line the walkways
from Tinubu Street through Kakawa Street onto Broad Street on Lagos
Island at night.
Thus, it wasn’t
surprising when a medium height young lady, dressed in skimpy black tank
top and a pair of bum shorts moved close to our correspondent as she
swayed her hips in an exaggerated manner that night. She immediately
offered her service. He was a potential patron, she probably thought.
Located
close to many banks which dot the vicinity, the sex spot does not look
luxurious. But it is not likely that a conscious person would miss the
kind of trade that goes on in the area.
Women
of varying sizes, complexion and heights – as young as 19 and as old as
35 years, and marked out by their heavily made up faces, ‘patrol’ the
streets.
Every passing man, who spares them a short glance, either gets a lavish seductive look in return or the trade call.
At this point, it is left for the man to either look away, take a second look or consider the invitation.
Curious as to how and where these ladies actually service their patrons, our correspondent approached one
of them and asked how much her service would cost.
When
our correspondent approached, three of the ladies jumped to their feet
to advertise their goods. Two seemed to be in their late 30s, fair in
complexion and voluptuous.
A
young lad in his late 20s was also seen beside the three commercial sex
workers positing as some sort of guard for the girls against anyone that
may want to take advantage of them.
When
the chosen one, who identified herself as Chioma, led our correspondent
to a corner off the rough passage, she stopped suddenly and entered a
shack.
Like a blow, a strong
stench emanating from the small, empty room hit our correspondent. The
shack was a room faintly lit by the reflection of the streetlights
outside. The shack was outright repulsive. The small room neither had a
floor nor ceiling, not to talk of a bed, bench, or any object that could
make one slightly comfortable. The ‘room’ was also open as there was no
door.
When asked where the ‘action’ would take place, Chioma said, “It is inside this room now, where you wan make we go again? We dey do am here, no be today.”
Asked
how much she charged, Chioma said N1,000. Despite bargaining, she
insisted on the amount. When asked if the price could come down if there
was no actual sex but just fondling, she angrily said, ‘No o, I no dey romance. Wetin I wan take romance do? Abeg f***ck if you wan f***ck, na only f***ck we dey do for here.’
However,
when our correspondent asked if she would accept the same N1,000 for
the fondling, she became impatient and attempted to storm out of the
door-less ‘room.’ On further persuasion, she reluctantly said that the
N1,000 was the standard price and that they do only actual sex and
nothing less, and it was payment before service.
It
came as a shock to her when our correspondent asked for the bed on
which the fun would take place. She said they usually have sex with men
while standing thus there would be no need for a bed or bench as none
was available. In her words, “Bed or wetin? Na as we dey so we dey do am. No time.”
During the day, these streets are busy with commercial activities but they take on a totally different outlook at night.
When our correspondent visited the place one morning, a food joint, otherwise called mama put, operates at the spot.
With
the thousands of traders who parade Tinubu Street in the day, a
stranger may not be able to imagine the other side of commercial
activities that take place there at night.
Our
correspondent observed that as business activities round off from 8pm
the commercial sex workers convert some of the wooden sheds used by
traders during the day to their own stand and get set for work.
When
our correspondent visited the place around 8pm on Tuesday, there was no
sign that anything out of the ordinary occurred there as people were
still moving around.
The spot
where the sex business takes place shares premises with a
football-viewing centre and it is located in a discreet corner. Only a
closer look at the place or those who are familiar with the ‘night
business’ that take place there would be able to identify the commercial
sex workers as they take positions under the traders’ sheds.
The
visit turned out to be a revelation that commercial sex hawking has
taken on a new dimension. Here in the heart of Lagos, patrons buy
‘quickie’ without a bench, mattress or any form of luxury.
Ironically, sex here does not come cheap in spite of its location and the lack of luxury.
Interestingly,
there was an old man, a taxi driver and an old woman, a trader who sat
in front of the premises of the sex spot, both in their 60s, and they
seemed unconcerned about the happenings in their surroundings as they
appeared carried away with their discussion.
When
our correspondent approached some traders who were closing their shops
and some company security men on the street for comments, some of them
claimed ignorance while some said they were aware.
Chidi,
a trader who sells clothes close to the spot, said, “This place is a
very busy place, both in the morning and evening, so I am not aware if
there is any such thing happening there.”
A
security personnel attached to one of the companies around the spot,
who craved anonymity for fear of being humiliated, said the ladies had
been operating there for some time. “They have been there for some time
now, but anyone who does not know that such things happen there may not
easily notice them, because most of them stay under the shade. They make
their money because guys patronise them. You know it’s quickie, so it’s
fast.”
Another trader, Obinna,
said he knew some ladies usually come there at night but that it meant
nothing to him. “As long as they don’t disturb me, they should continue.
They have been there for some time now, so it’s not new to me,
personally.”
Gone are the days
when commercial sex workers stayed in brothels while waiting for their
clients. At first, Allen Avenue was known as headquarters of these young
ladies in Lagos State but slowly and gradually, they began to expand
their coast to places like Ikeja GRA, Agege, Obalende, National Stadium
at Surulere, Iyana-Ipaja and Lagos Island.
From
9pm, when one takes a drive on Allen Avenue, these girls would make
seductive gestures trying to lure men to come to them. They make
statements like, “Hey gorgeous, do you like what you see?”
However,
these girls normally have a place where they take their clients to
‘service’ them. If it is for ‘short time,’ there is always a building
around where they do their business. Most times, they would rather opt
for ‘TDB’ – Till Day Breaks – because of convenience.
When
our correspondent insisted that it had to be on the bed or at least a
bench, Chioma hissed irritatingly. When asked how much she would charge
if she had to be taken out of the area, she gave a long hiss again and
said, “shey na you wey no fit f***ck for here go fit carry person comot?” Then she stormed out of the room in anger and went back to her colleagues outside.
While leaving the squalid environment, Chioma was overheard telling her colleagues that it was a mere waste of her time. “No mind the yeye guy, na romance him want, him talk say him no dey f***ck,” she said.
When
our correspondent left the premises and observed from a distance, two
young men went in one after the other at few minutes intervals, nothing
less could be expected since it was a quickie.
During
the visit to Lagos Island, a lot of activities involving parades and
calling out to customers was also noticed on Simpson Street where as
usual, the ladies of the night were seen dressed in short, skimpy and
see-through apparels.
Of course,
this corroborates the daring disposition of the commercial sex workers
and the rapid expansion of the business. But the sex-while-standing on
the island seems like a new development. Here, the commercial sex
workers meet the needs of their customers who want a quickie whilst
saving time.
As the commercial
sex business continues to grow, a visit by our correspondent to a
popular street inside the Iyana-Ipaja main market revealed that the
timing of the business could easily pass for a civil service job.
As
early as 4am, workers have resumed at the old, unpainted storey
building, located at the heart of the market. Early in the morning and
late at night, the sex workers stay in front of the building calling on
potential customers and some passers-by who look in their direction.
When
our correspondent entered through the small door that opens into a
reception-like space inside the building, he met about seven women who
displayed their products, showcasing what made them peculiar.
Of
particular interest was a lady who was fanning herself while sweating
profusely, and when she was asked by one of her colleagues why she was
sweating profusely, she said, “na f***ck o, no mind me, the guy wan kill me.”
The
one picked by our correspondent said the price had to be negotiated
before they went into her room. She said ‘quickie,’ which means the
fastest form of sexual intercourse that does not take time, costs
N1,500. After serious bargaining, she agreed to collect N1,200 which was
above what our correspondent offered to pay.
Since
she could not agree with the price offered by our correspondent,
another worker, who identified herself as Odi, offered to collect N1,000
which she said, was the standard price, but she was open to options
when asked about the option of romance. Odi said, “If you want only
romance, I can take N700 but I would be the one in charge and you would
pay before service. If it is just to allow you ‘come,’ I can manage N700.”
There
was a bar inside the building where men and women drink while the
operator played music, blaring through the loud speakers and the spot is
self -introducing at such hour due to the loud music. For an
unsuspecting visitor, the place could pass for a bar, but each of the
sex workers has a room upstairs where they attend to their guests with
no interference from others.
However,
the rapid growth in the business of commercial sex has forced some
businesses to recognise the potential of money-making in it.
These
days, most bars now have girls on display as they have drinks. And the
girls are also offered to customers who are interested and willing to
pay.
Source: The Punch
