Commercial Sex workers takes over major streets in Cross River

Edem Bassey, Calabar

Commercial sex workers have taken over major streets in Cross River State. The call girls stationed at strategic positions in various major streets of Calabar, the State capital are mostly found at political venues, hotels and major roads, making the areas their regular business locations.

Investigations conducted by our correspondent revealed that these sex workers popularly referred to as prostitutes floored the streets of Calabar and are in their teens, twenties and above thirties. They rove around the Streets in the evening from 8 pm till late hours of the night soliciting for potential customers.

Our correspondent gathered that most of these ladies are students from the University of Calabar, Cross River University of Technology and College of Education Akamkpa. Some secondary schools students in the state also joined in this night business.

These fun seeking ladies are mostly seen at MCC, along the Channel View Hotel in Calabar, Calabar Roads, Marian Road, Mayne Avenue and Bedwell. Daily Times also found these call girls around Atekong areas where popular Paradise City Hotel is located, Housing estates, Floor mill junctions, Goldie, Chamley, Calabar road, Yellow Duke, Bassey Duke, Mayne Avenue, and other areas where hotels are located.

Besides taken over some major streets, the girls also appeared in political and social functions held at important Hotels including Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel, Peoples Democratic Party secretariat and big places in the land.

The girls, our findings revealed, appeared in two or more, wore miniskirts, short skirts, skimpy and tight-fitting dresses that exposed their physiological appearance and moved around the area on high heel shoes.

Some went into the Hotel, sat quietly at the reserved corner, raising their legs on side stools, prompting many of the men in the hall to look at their raised legs and barely covered chests. Interestingly, single and married men, young and old people, as well as people who come to Calabar for one government and private functions or the other, patronize them.

In a chat with our correspondent, a lady who gave her name as Virginia Okoro disclosed that she make profitable amount whenever she goes out. “It will be difficult for me to leave this work. I really enjoyed it, besides the money, I enjoyed meeting different people, I drink free and eat free and sleep in comfortable hotels” she said.

Another girl who said her name is Christian Uwem Akpan said she was a drop out from secondary school and has no regret for what she was doing and owed nobody any apology. “I have no regret of what I am doing but I thank God for given me the grace to survive difficult situation I found myself. It was rough, she recalled.

Sadly, the residents of the Housing estates lamented the taken over of their streets by the call girls. A married woman who simply gave her name as Mrs Paulin lamented that so many homes are threatened by these ladies as their husband patronized them at will.

“I am telling you, I almost had a broken marriage because my husband befriends one of these girls who always came around. We have complained to the authority concern on the presence of these girls but nothing seems to be done.

According to her, the areas are exposed to armed robbery and other crimes that make the people to sleep with their eyes half closed, “Whenever security operatives swoop on them after sometimes, they come back in large numbers”.

Disappointingly, some of these girls are customers to security operatives hence they are not afraid of the threat by security operatives. The danger of operations of these girls are in many folds as they littered the environment with used condoms, cigarettes, empty cans and other unidentified items.

“These girls who are also informants to armed robbers recruited other unsuspected girls to join them even as the parents of the victims never accepted such actions” However, other girls who spoke with us lamented that they do not do the job because they likes it but blamed it on unemployment.

“I am a graduate of Business Management, University of Calabar, I left the Institution in 2014, look for employment but found none. In fact, hard times drove me into this business. If I see a good husband or good job, I will abandon this profession, she stated.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ms Irene Ugbo told our correspondent that with early closure of drinking joints by 10pm the activities of these fun seekers will be reduced and that the efforts was being made to gulp incessant armed robbery, kidnapping and other crimes in the state.

Irene said “This innovation of the Commissioner of Police has pave way in reducing incessant crimes in the state. This will also enable our patrol team to move round and do their work without hindrance because anybody arrested at that time will not have reason for staying late outside” she stated.