Hajiya Kaltum Rufa’i, Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, says the government is determined to end the activities of commercial sex workers in the state.
Rufa’i, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), noted that there were state laws against such activity.
She added that the government would investigate the report of their activities with a view to stopping the ugly trend.
“We have identified where the commercial sex workers hangout to do their businesses.
“As I speak with you now, the government is strategizing on how to end it.
I am assuring you that we will leave no stone unturned to stop this ugly trend in Niger,’’ Rufa’i said.
NAN recalled that on July 26, it filed a report on the activities of the commercial sex workers in the state which drew attention of the state government.
Their activities were seen to constitute security risk.
NAN revealed that the activities of the commercial sex workers had been on for more than 15 years.
Some of the sex workerd who spoke to NAN said that they charged between N1, 000 and N10, 000, depending on the kind of service; whether shot-time or all-night.
NAN gathered that for short-time service, which is about one hour service, they charge between N1, 000 and N3, 000, depending on the bargaining power of the client.
NAN also learned that the clients pay between N1, 000 and N3, 000 for hotel accommodation for a short time and from N5, 000 to N8,000 for all-night service.
On the choice of the trade, some of the sex workers said that they ventured into the trade out of the frustration of no job, coupled with no man to marry them.
One of them, who gave her name as Sharon Tanko, said, “I have to use what I have to help myself’’.
Similarly, one the clients who pleaded not to be named, said that it was cheaper to patronise a female sex worker and pay her off after service than keeping a female friend.
According to him, when you keep a girlfriend, you must maintain her, but in the case of sex worker, she will give you the services and you pay her off, no string attached.
(NAN)
