We Use Charms, Amulets To Increase Libido And Retain Customers
KOLA OYELERE, writes on how sex workers in Kano take care of themselves to keep ahead of others in the competitive world of prostitution.
IT is often said that every job has its own hazards. Prostitution, like every other profession, is not immune from its own peculiar hazards which include serious one like contracting sexually transmitted diseases, especially gonorrhoea and HIV/AIDs to jealousy from fellow sex workers leading to spiritual attacks and fighting over customers. In fact, a few years back, residents of the city were reportedly thrown into fear after about 44 sex workers out of about 93 arrested at that time by Hisbah were confirmed to be HIV/AIDS positive.
In Kano, sex workers in spite of the presence of Hisbah, the Sharia police, still find a way of operating without being caught or harassed. Interestingly, not all these sex workers are adults, thus it is not uncommon for the Hisbah officials to arrest the under-aged sex workers who operate even in a religiously conscious and conservative city like Kano where the main religion – Islam – frowns on premarital sex.
Major areas where sex workers operate in Kano include Sabon Gari, an area mostly populated by non-indigenes. Names of the streets in Sabon Gari would easily tell where residents of the community come from. Some of the street names include Enugu road, Abedie, Sanigiwa, Warri, Club, Onitsha and Yoruba roads.
Though some of these areas like Sabon Gari form an integral part of the Kano metropolis, the Hisbah hardly operates there The prostitutes sometimes work with pimps who link them with some customers elsewhere, occasionally with the big men in town, depending on the perceived ‘sophistication’ of the sex worker in question by her pimp.
Another area where prostitution thrives in Kano is the Kwanar Gafan market. Though the major produce sold in the market is tomato, by virtue of the fact that people from all parts of Nigeria and neighbouring countries like Niger, Cameroon and Chad Republic often converge there for business. However, beyond the business of tomato, is prostitution which is going on behind-the-scenes mostly engaged in by girls from neighbouring countries.
However, that is not to say that the entire areas in Sabo where sex workers operate are totally immune from occasional raids. Once in a while Hisbah often puts in an appearance, to arrest prostitutes and whenever this happens the sex workers melt into the dark corners. Sometimes if they were unfortunate and got caught they could just pay a little fine and be left off the hook.
Getting ready for work
Mostly the sex workers live in dingy, run down pubs that pass for hotels where occupants use some form of narcotics even if it is just some local off-the-counter drugs to make them feel high. They also smoke.
As the days winds down and evening approaches many of the sex workers in most of the brothels could be seen preparing for the business of the day, dressing up, applying make-up and putting ‘henna’ on their hands and feet.
The sex workers also come from diverse backgrounds. Some of them, even at a very young age are divorcees; others have simply run away from home to avoid being forced into marriage.
Welcome to the world of Kano sex workers where the money may not be as big as what their peers get in Abuja or Lagos, but then it keeps body and soul together to make them hope for the next day and the next day ad infinitum.
Staying power and amulets
Arewa Live engaged some of the sex workers to find out how they run their business and not get caught and more importantly coping with so much competition from their co-workers.
Safiya, a young lady in her 20s who operates in Abedie area of Sabon Gari was initially reluctant to talk but with assurance that she was safe she opened up on how she copes. According to her, she visits marabouts occasionally who give her amulets to wear on her body. According to her, the amulet was meant to give her lots of energy so that she can cope with as many customers as possible on any night.
Safiya told Arewa Live further that the instruction of the marabout for her is to tie the amulet to the upper part of her left thigh permanently.
“I visited a marabout after I was advised to do so by other ladies I met on the job. The mallam who gave me the amulet lives inside the ancient city; he told me that the charm will give me the strength to sleep with as many men as possible without getting tired or taking any hard drug for strength,” she explained smiling.
But has the amulet worked as promised by the marabout? “Yes it worked and up till now it is working. I don’t get tired when I have sex with my customers though I have never found too many of them on any day,” she said.
Another sex worker who identified herself as Esther from one of the South-West states said she didn’t need any amulet to give her strength because she could easily cope with the numbers. But she confirmed that the practice of using amulets for strength is common among her Hausa/Fulani friends.
“Some of us from the south usually travel home purposely to go and meet one baba or pastor who prepares some spiritual items for us for protection. But for strength, we rely more on concoction prepared by herbs and roots hawkers who supply us with those ones that are believed to give strength to take care of as many men as available,” Safiya told Sunday Tribune.
Another sex worker, a 31-year-old indigene of Benue State who spoke under the condition of anonymity said “most of the time, the sickness suffered by prostitutes are usually not ordinary, since we all know this, we don’t look for any doctor.
“Since I came to Kano five years ago, most of the girls who died from sicknesses are usually the ones who go to hospitals to seek help. It is now a common practice to go for amulets, for prevention and cure.”
Twenty-three year-old Hajara, also a sex worker corroborated the above statement, adding that using amulets is cheaper and more effective.
“If you see any prostitute with amulets it is for protection from spiritual attack. We envy and attack ourselves spiritually; this is not a secret. Secondly, we use it as protection from getting pregnant. Some men pay well and would not like to use condom; sometimes the condom may burst so the amulet protects you from disease and pregnancy,” she explained.
Esther Mama, a 30-year-old, mother of two who took to prostitution after she was abandoned by her husband revealed that “the use of waist, thigh, ankle and wrist amulets is more common among Hausa/Fulani sex workers. Most girls wear amulets for spiritual protection, protection from sexual diseases while some wear it after they are cured of mysterious ailment.
“Others wear it to attract good luck, to have more customers and to hypnotise any man that has sex with them. Use of amulet serves general purposes. Most men are scared of you when they see those amulets on your body. Those of us from the South have more of incisions on our body. So, instead of amulets we use powder, water, concoctions and olive oil.”
One sex worker who would not like to be identified said the competition among sex workers is very keen. Therefore she also visits some Mallams also prepare special powder for her and other things she would not like to mention so that her customers could remain faithful to her.
“No matter what, my customers will come to me. Even if I travel, they will make sure they wait for me; that is how strong the charm is. I have my own customers; I don’t fight anybody over customers. They know me for that,” she said.
Marha Ibrahim from Southern Kaduna, who has years of experience behind her in the business names some of the other drugs commonly used by sex workers as codeine, rubber solution, suck and die, roti, or odour from pit latrine.
“We also bathe our good customers with good perfume or apply ‘Tsetse cream’ to their male organs which will make them enjoy the action and pay us very well. As you see, some of us were married but because they have children and no husband to cater for them they resorted to joining the business in order to be able to send their children to school. Others, after realising some good money abandon the business,” she said.
While speaking on some of her experiences at the hands of customers, Marha said sometimes, some men try to dupe sex workers by not paying after sex.
“Some would do us 419 after they might have slept with us. They would promise to pay later, but whenever this happens, we normally seize their wrist watch or shoes or any valuable property and tell them to come and collected them after payment,” she revealed.
A local herbalist, who identified himself as Aji confirmed that a majority of his clients are drawn from among commercial sex workers who seek his help to increase their libido and enable them to entertain as many men as possible.
According to him, the prostitutes, apart from looking for herbal mixture to gain strength and increase their libido, equally ask me to prepare amulets that will attract good luck and protect them.