How we protect ourselves against ritual killers –Commercial sex workers

Thirty-three-year-old Cynthia has grown restless in recent days. A native of Gboko in Benue State, the young woman, who refused to disclose her other names during a recent encounter with one of our correspondents posing as a potential client, has not only grown confused over what next to do with her life but also where the elusive breakthrough lies. A commercial sex worker in the Jibowu area of Lagos, she revealed how she has been living in fear since two of her colleagues suddenly disappeared more than five months ago. Though the two are yet to be found, Cynthia feared that they may have been used for ritual purposes after they went out to ‘entertain’ a client said to have lodged in a nearby hotel.

“One of our madams after contacting a spiritualist told us that the two ladies had been used for rituals by the customer who engaged their services on that fateful day,” the young woman said, cutting a forlorn picture. “Since we heard that news, many of us have been very afraid. In fact, it has been tough for some of us to have the courage to continue this work,” she added.

After settling for N2, 000 for a short session with one of our correspondents, the 33-year-old became a bit relaxed and chatted freely. Asked how she’ll know and protect herself from customers with ulterior motives especially those, who intend to use her for ritual purposes, Cynthia took a deep breath before pouring out her heart.

“Though before now, I just relied on looks to determine who could be dangerous or not, since my colleagues got missing, many of us here have fortified ourselves spiritually through the assistance of one of our madams,” she revealed. “There is a traditionalist that comes to bathe us here specially once every month and the exercise is to ward off any sort of danger related to our work for that period. But even with this form of protection, I am still quite afraid because there are some customers too who move about with stronger juju with which they can use to catch anybody they want.

“As a result of this development, I have stopped working outside the brothel where I hustle. Any client that needs my services has to come to meet me here for now. Until I find a protection that I am very sure of, I will continue to be careful because I don’t want to die anyhow,” she said.

Like the Benue State-born 33-year-old, Kenny, 29, is another commercial sex worker in the city, who has learnt to be more conscious of her safety in recent times following a rise in the spate of killings of prostitutes for ritual purposes. The Ikire, Osun State native, who plies her trade in the Ibafo area of Ogun State, told one of our correspondents that sought her services that she couldn’t go with him to Ikorodu where he claimed to have lodged in a hotel because she couldn’t guarantee her own safety. Efforts to persuade her yielded little result and in the end, the rambunctious lady agreed to sit at a joint to familiarise before a final agreement would be reached between both parties.

Punchng