My name is Blessing Matthias but call me Ibukun, because that is what my name means in Yoruba language, although, I’m not a Yoruba person.
My occupation? As in job? I am sex worker; at Sharp Corner Hotel, for this Ebute Metta. I know people like to say all sorts of things about us, because they think they are better than us, meanwhile, many of us are more decent than all of them joined together.
It is easy for you to look at me and say, ‘ashawo’ but you see I did not wake up one morning and say, I want to f%$k all the men in Lagos.
“Shebi you no be virgin when you come Lagos, so wetin spoil if person pass road wey anoda person don pass before?”
And me I was just 18 years that time!
Can you see wickedness?
When I said what she said was not good o, she said I should leave her house. So Italy, I cannot go and canteen, I cannot work there again. So I left.
That night I slept in my aunty’s neighbour’s room. But that one too, he raped me that night, many times in fact but who will I shout for? Even though I know I was not a virgin but no bi say make dem come dey f%$k for free. So after staying there for two weeks, I left.
So I say, instead of make all these men dey by force me come dey f%$k me for free make dem kuku dey pay. That’s why I came to this place and I’ve been doing it, no wahala. When I have enough money, I will go Italy, myself.
The matter that brought me to the station is hard; one of my customers came and he said he wanted VIP treatment. The people wey sabi VIP know that you pay extra for that service, it is not cheap. For VIP, we can charge from N10, 000 to N15, 000. It depends on how the customer can bargain; because it is an all-night service and VIP customers don’t come every time. So I thought I have jammed luck when this customer came.
What is VIP? Ahh, for VIP you will do everything because VIP is special customer; he is not a short-time o. He will suck and f%$k, you go give am head and he can do you any how he wants and you must agree, upon say it is all-night. But some customers are just wicked. They will use you like rag, so tey you won’t be able to work for a long time just because they are paying N10,000.
This wicked man, standing by the counter, he came and I give him VIP; for more than six hours. He did not even pity me. He paid me half before we started. Ok, na, pay the remaining half after the service, he just dey stammer.
He said he left his wallet for his car outside, that he will go and get it; I said, ‘Oya, I will follow you.’
I wanted to pick my phone to follow him outside because I don’t trust him. I know this type of man they can do and undo so I wanted to use my phone to snap him and collect his plate number but I searched everywhere in the room, I couldn’t find my phone.
In my mind, I thought I left it outside before he came in, so I told him to wait. But something just told me to quickly follow him. He was just walking fast. So I come begin to shout. I shouted and everybody came out and before he could even start his car, my people have catch him and blocked his car.
No bi small thief this man thief me upon say I don give am special time! They searched him and found my phone in his pocket. Even my small change that I put under my mattress, he stole that one too, about N8, 000 or so.
See wickedness?
So I joined my people to beat him but our madam called police. They came and arrested him, but they said I should write statement; na the statement I don write so.
– Compiled by Peju Akande