Commercial sex workers devise new strategy
Fred Itua
Abuja, Nigeria’s alluring capital city, is a beauty to behold. From the high-rise buildings, to well-constructed road networks, to the mix of culture, Abuja is a perfect exemplum of how modern cities should be planned.
Notwithstanding, there is more to these breath-taking architectural designs. Underneath the beauty of the city, is another world of high-class commercial sex workers. They are not the everyday kind of girl who ply their trades under the killing cold at night, or besiege nightclubs to set their traps and catch willing victims.
This set of elitist daughters of Eve, are sophisticated in their dealings. During the day, they work in good offices, salons and run private businesses. At night, they service their willing clients for a good fortune.
In the local parlance, Abuja residents call them runs girls. Make no mistakes, not every successful Abuja girl indulges in commercial sex work. In fact, it is believed that those who indulge in this trade are in the extreme minority. But extreme minority in Abuja still amounts to a sizeable figure.
Rightly or wrongly, residents believe that the biting economic hardship reduced the once-thriving business. However, that assumption has turned out to be false. Instead, Abuja elitist commercial sex workers have gone digital.
Daily Sun went to town to sample the opinions of operators of big hotels, casinos and nightclubs, where these girls are believed to ply their trade. The outcome was another eye opener.
The first point of call was a five star hotel, located around Maitama axis. Luckily, a willing staff spoke in confidence: “Things have changed around here. In the past, before this place was renovated, it was a free-for-all affair. Our lobby here used to be so busy that management always complained. The irony was that, the people who frequented this place didn’t come here to transact any business.
“In the past, there were people here whose only business was to arrange top and beautiful working class girls for our net worth clients. We called them pimps. They used to work with some of our staff here who, used to inform them that there were events and that big people lodged here.
“Back then, the pimps would get the specifications of the kind of girls the clients wanted and would invite them in no time. The sharing formula then was 70-30 percent. The girl got 70, while the pimp got 30. It was a huge market.
“Our bar and club used to be busy too. Some girls straight from their offices used to come and hang out here. Those who were lucky got good customers. But that has changed now and I don’t think it’s because of the economic hardship in the country. It is as a result of something else.”
According to her, pimps and runs girls have gone digital. She revealed that thriving online platforms have been opened, where girls who are willing are recruited. She revealed that the identity of the girls are usually hidden, while rich men who are desperate to empty their sexual bowels, also access the site.
The girls disguise as escorts and provide any kind of services to their clients, both in cash and kind: “Most of the girls collect their payments in dollars and in other foreign currencies. They charge per hour they spend with you.”
Her testimony was corroborated by a senior staff of a casino in the Central District of Abuja. She also spoke anonymously: “Technology has made life easier. The era where big runs girls used to stay out in bars and casinos to look for customers is gone. They have gone digital and that is the truth.
“Economic hardship has not affected them. They have only gone wiser. Today, these ladies from the comfort of their homes, log onto a site and make an arrangement with a client. Even the people who work here don’t know what is happening.
“Once the girl and the client agree, she comes straight to his room in the hotel and render her services. She doesn’t even need to talk to the receptionist. That is how technology has aided prostitution in Abuja.
“All those girls who still stay under the cold at night to look for customers are local champions. No one does that again. There are so many platforms now where these girls and their clients meet online. As soon as they meet, they carry out their transactions and move on.”
So, when next you visit a world class hotel, casino or club in Abuja and you don’t see high movement of runs girls, fear not! Just know that there is a new way of doing such business in the nation’s amazing capital.