City Rock, a hotel located along Abuja-Keffi road in the Mararaba area of Nasarawa, Nasarawa State is notorious for sex workers and child prostitution.
An investigation carried out by Media Advocacy West Africa Foundation (MAWA-Foundation) shows there is a good number of girls between the ages of 13, 14 and 15 who are professional sex workers serving men who troop into the hotel for cheap sex.
Miss Ene, a sex worker, who said she comes from the Otukpa area of Benue state, who spoke to the MAWA team with the belief that they are potential customers, explained how she has been in the business of prostitution in the hotel for over three years.
She said under the arrangement, sex workers have a contract with the hotel management; they are given accommodation, usually two per room while they pay N2000 to the hotel management every day. Ene added that some of the sex workers pay every day while others pay monthly.
Ene who offered sex to the MAWA team gave N1000 discount per round at the price of N2,000 instead of N3,500 which is the standard charge. She, however, said she does not go out in search of a man, according to her, all her customers come to City Rock for servicing.
Just as MAWA officials were talking with Ene, two girls came in through the hotel entrance, move towards us, and jumped into the conversation. One of them who identified herself as Rita said “What are you doing there, won’t you go and find prick and fuck to make money”
Her utterances got the attention of MAWA officials who engaged her in a conversation. Rita, while lamenting difficult times, said that many of their customers cannot pay N2,500 for a round of sex anymore, because things are difficult, adding that many of them can only afford N300.
She told MAWA that although the money is too small compared to what they get before the COVID – 19, she accepts N300 per round of sex because it is better than staying for a whole day without making money even when she has to settle the hotel after each day.
“It’s not easy at all for we sex workers. We have to pay for the accommodation here, feed ourselves, take care of ourselves in case of diseases, and also try to save something.
“Men now just come here to drink and go home. Even our old customers who used to pay N2, 500 for one round sometimes now beg to pay N300”
Miss Judith, one of the sex workers who said she comes from Adamawa state, told MAWA that she has spent over a year at the City Park doing purely for prostitution.
She narrated how the hotel offers accommodation to under-aged girls for prostitution, when asked the propelling factor behind child prostitution, she said most men prefer younger women to older ones.
Judith said before the COVID-19 outbreak, sex workers’ business boomed pointing out that she made over N10k daily, but since the pandemic, she struggles to make N2000 a day.
When asked how she makes the money, she said because she is below 15 years she has lots of customers who like her looks and energy. She added that there are over 50 under-aged girls who are sex workers in the hotel.
A staff of the hotel who did not want his name mentioned, told MAWA that apart from sex workers’ activities being prominent in the hotel, it also serves as a supplier of girls to anybody or a group of persons who need girls in their party.
Worse still, it is a crime in Nigeria to have carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 14 years.
When MAWA sought the explanation of City Rock, it admitted having prostitutes in their rooms but said it is a normal practice that is obtainable in other places.
Asked if the sex workers pay the hotel, they said nobody uses the hotel facilities for free, adding that there is a plan to increase service charge for all the sex workers.
A plan the hotel said is to reflect the present economic reality.
Note: Picture not real, used for an illustration