THISDAYonline

Prostitution is regarded as the oldest profession on earth. The reason it is still in existence isn't far from the fact that it is very 'lucrative'. There is obviously no age limit. Some patrons prefer them old, some middle aged, and some prefer to catch them young. Like most professions, prostitution has class. It is no longer a trade for the unlearned: professionals have been caught in the red-light district, thus making available to interested people a wide range of choices.

Working girls are involved. High society call girls are all over the place and are fast peddling their trade. Even girls whose parents are wealthy are involved. They wear no tags and do not stand by the roadside either, but their clients know them. Some of them work in big organizations and earn fantastic pay. They have a clique that isn't easily penetrated by freshers. Unfortunately, the wild dress code in town these days makes it difficult for anyone to spot them. Apart from operating locally, they have agents abroad. Once their agents make contact for them, off they go for business. They stay for as long as their hosts wish to have them around and get paid. They even shop! They have fat bank accounts locally and internationally. It is believed that they make as much as N250.000, even up to N500,000 per client.

Amaize is a very intelligent graduate of Mathematics. She and her friends cruise about town in choice cars, attend high society parties, wine and dine with the creme of the society, keep many expatriate clients, and some of whom are diplomats. One of them is her fiancŽe and they hope to get married next years. She and her friends live in posh apartments furnished to their taste and have expensive jewelry. Amaize has, on many occasions travelled abroad, most of which were on invitation from client. She says: "On each trip, I go with a small suitcase, knowing that I will have good money on me to shop to my satisfaction. I make the best of my time and give myself a treat". She shops in the most expensive stores in town and even owns one.

These girls go with their clients to executive meetings as personal assistants. They get expensive gifts from clients like cars, tickets to go on holidays anywhere in the world plus spending money.

Udy used to be a regular at the nightclubs where she lurks around when there is no big party in town. Like Amaize, she prefers expatriate clients. Two years ago, she got hooked to Mike, an engineer in a leading foreign construction company. Their union is blessed with a male child. Udy, though married, is still in contact with her old clients on a regular basis. Her husband allows her to run a perfumery and that gives her the excuse to travel under the pretex that she is going to get new stock for her store.

There is also the Arewa fraction of these paid mistresses, Sharia notwithstanding. The introduction of Sharia has in a way elevated and given them licence to operate. Usually, the northern women dress similarly. With their bodies all wrapped up, it is difficult spotting the difference. These women parade themselves as members of campaign teams for various political parties, which affords them the opportunity to bargain and fix appointments for their business.

One of such women, Hadjia Amina, in company of Amin Gogo feigning to be a couple, was among the last pilgrims from Saudi Arabia. These women's involvement in politics allows them to earn money politically while rendering "social services" to the privileged.

Next in rank to them are those working girls who stand by the roadside in their skimpy clothes to woo their clients, some of who occasionally go for them in place of the 'high class'. Some of them like their 'superiors' are gainfully employed in some organizations and at the end of each day's work they go scouting for extras to augment what they earn. They are mostly young women who never extend their businesses to their houses. They eventually graduate to the 'A' categories. Their style of operation is not so demanding and allows for them to operate all alone if they so wish, not necessarily belonging to a group. They are aggressively protective of their personality and sometimes fight themselves over clients. A flash of vehicle headlight at them can cost you your windshield. Their charges are not usually fixed; they size up their clients and name a befitting price. They sometimes fall victim to rapists who also rob them of their processions. Their spots are usually government reservation areas like Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Ikeja. Their services are sometimes required by the 'high class' prostitutes to support a client with queer taste and get handsomely rewarded.

Another class of the prostitutes resides in brothels or sometimes occupies a whole residential building, as operation base. Their services are available to interested persons 24 hours daily. Some of them pay for their accommodation on a daily basis. Usually, they operate with the landlords on an ad-hoc arrangement. Their businesses are mainly within their domain. Occasionally, their 'boyfriends' come over to spend sometime with them.

These are usually young and mature girls most of whom are brought from their village by their friends and relatives and get introduced to the business. They are usually hard looking and crude and gradually get wild in their dressing to woo customers. They are nicknamed agaracha. Their complexion is usually uneven as a result of bleaching and their hair in colours of the rainbow.

Nana, in her late 50's, is an older member of this category. She rose through the ranks having put in some years from her teen and is still actively involved. She goes to her home town occasionally to recruit young girls, gets them fixed up, and pays for their accommodation with an agreement from the girls to pay back. They get to work and in addition serve her loyally, as she recruits new ones and the old brigade gain their freedom.

In this same setting are some of Nana's agemates who have not put in as many years as she has. These ones probably discover their "talent" in the profession at their middle age. They have children in the course of their trade, most of whom do not know their fathers. They live normal life, go to school and occasionally pay their mothers visits, help her with her laundry and collect pocket money. They live separately from the younger ones. Kids are not allowed to stay in where they operate. They are so organized that they have order of superiority with the oldest as the head. They have rules and regulations that guide their operations. They are usually located in suburbs. Their charges depend on the service rendered and duration. For instance, touching of breast and going without the use of condoms attracts extra charges.

The Obalende fraction seems the most expensive. They are better dressed and attract higher price. Among them are those who live with their boyfriends who are aware of their profession. Laraba goes out when duty calls, otherwise she stays back "home" to do the household chores like a normal housewif. She is refereed to by neighbours as Yabagi's (her host) wife. Laraba says: "I live with Yabagi as a sort of security. He has been caring, loving and helpful in hard times, in sickness and in times of financial difficulties. He was one of my first men when I came to Lagos. My friend Mairo and Iyale have been living together for close to seven years now, and are raising a family. They have two children." Iyale and Mairo in same situation like the former, and have agreed to have children with no strings attached to their relationship. These women go out to attend to business for as long as their services is required. One of them, Iyabo, now goes by the name Hajia Mimi. Some of her clients are regular clients she has been servicing for years and are still hooked on.

This fraction is rich. They have houses in their hometowns, investments and other diversified businesses. They are called "Daduro" (independent people). For them, one can hardly find any tell-tale of what they do for a living, yet their dressing is expensive and gorgeous too.