New tactics of Abuja sex workers

 

Commercial sex workers develop new strategies to beat directives of the Federal Capital Territory administration, OLALEKAN ADETAYO writes

 Once upon a time, these women of easy virtue, draped in their skimpy dresses, dotted every major road and hotel in the nation’s capital.

At a point, the FCT authority became uncomfortable with the situation and so rolled out some directives to put an end to prostitution in the city.

A two-week investigation carried out by Punch showed that these ladies are still plying their trade in the metropolitan city, but in different styles.

 Indeed, with the arrest of many of them by the special taskforce for loitering, they simply went back to the drawing board, devising new methods to up their game. 

One of such methods, findings reveal is “online prostitution.” This involves employing strategies, such as using social networking service. 

In fact, one unique approach is the use of Badoo, a dating-focused social networking service, which operates in 180 countries. Report has it as the 136th most popular website in the world.

 

According to a civil servant, Badoo is handy for him, once I launch it, my handset will show me ladies who are on Badoo within that vicinity.

 It will bring out their pictures and we will begin chatting.

 Anyone I decide to invite will be with me within 10 minutes because of her proximity.

Instead of loitering around, Abuja commercial sex workers now sit inside drinking joints or hotel bars, occasionally engaging in one social debate or another. Indeed, since they dress well, it will be difficult to take them for whores.

On Sunday evening, Punch correspondent, in company with a colleague, drove to a popular hotel located in Area 3, Garki, which is notorious for huge presence of these damsels. Interestingly, these women of easy virtue were not on the street leading to the hotel as was in the past. They have also adopted a fresh strategy.

As we entered the hotel’s drinking garden, there were no fewer than seven men with small kiosks inside the garden. Apart from chewing gum and perhaps recharge cards, the other most prominent items on display at the kiosks were all manner of cartons of condoms.

A banker, Emmanuel, told our correspondent a story of how commercial sex workers contribute money to rent houses in the city centre with about five or more of them sharing a single room. 

He recalled how one of his friends who went in search of one of the ladies in Area 8 ended up sleeping with not only the lady but also with one of her roommates.

Although efforts to get the reaction of the FCTA to react to the new trend did not yield any result, a source told Punch that it would be difficult to tackle.