Kwara since inception has always been quite a moral palace, something like a moral-virtue- and- character model for other states in Nigeria. This largely informs the tranquility, peace and orderliness that has almost become a second nature to the state, a phenomenon attested to by all and sundry so much that at the mention of Kwara, what readily comes to mind is peace, moral and orderliness, something which perhaps, couldn’t be better described, than the state official motto; State of Harmony. It’s a no-brainer that, this is largely unconnected to its holy, ethereal, revered and respected capital; Ilorin, a city globally recognized as a stronghold of Deen, and a vastly admired Islamic community. The state capital is widely recognized as a very cultured, refined and religious city where moral, values and good character reign supreme, a stark contrast to what’s obtainable in most of other Nigerian states. So much so prominently known that stealing, robbery, kidnapping and abduction, prostitution, cultism, raping and other social cultural malaise predominant in some other places, are considered ‘aberration’ and ‘abomination’ in Ilorin, the Capital of Kwara State. Put much more simply, these habits are considered ‘un-Ilorin-like’ and have no place in the city.
However , the unbecoming might be becoming already, as Campus prostitution seem to have found a home to roost; lay its ugly eggs and procreate the many evils associated with it as offspring. The once-upon-a-time ‘aberration’ in Ilorin has begun spreading its mat to lie down not externally, but internally, within the minds of Kwara’s female students. This much this medium, Theinformant247 has gathered.
From Unilorin to Kwasu, KP and Al- Hikmah, the growing religion amongst the female students is Prostitution. Sorry I was quite uncivil and local, I should have called it ‘’runs OR struggle” because that seem more coded and ‘acceptable’. However, no matter what beautiful words we choose to garb bad or wrong, it will never become good or right. Such words are mere makeover to color the ugliness of the shady practices which of course, will never stand the sun and rain of the irrepressible truth.
A visit to Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin’s gate on Friday- Sunday night is a departure from the world it lives in the afternoon. The sight of fierce – looking soldiers parading during the day may make the undiscerning to think the institution was the Holy land where such a bizarre thing as campus prostitution is unheard of. Meanwhile, it may not be too harsh and impolitic to remark that no party ever ‘rock’ without the highly recognized, highly social, highly trendy and ‘socially carried’ Kwara State Polytechnic students. It’s a traditional scene to behold fellow students, immoral married men and government officials filling in with cars, while not-so- successful or put simply‘ I never hammer’, small-boy-big -God guys make do with chartered taxi and Okada to ferry away your children; our female children, your female child you thought was sent to school. If tomorrow is another day, that day is the returning day- as they say, dawn is another day.
The story at the University of Ilorin is not better if not worse! If campus prostitution were some seed, the existence of almost numberless guest houses, inns and relaxation centre around Tanke, Basin, GRA provide the most fertile land for Prostitution to grow quite effortlessly. While it’s almost indisputable that Unilorin is one of the most sought-after Varsities in Nigeria, so could its female students effortlessly win the award of Better By Far in Prostitution in Kwara state. No weekend is ‘wicked’ enough to the merry men unless the Unilorin ladies pop into the house. Be it party or anything. Only that the P in party would be better if it had no ‘ rostitution’ after it but that’s a mere wish, the hidden agenda, is the thing in between the legs. From Soundbar to Bubbles 007, Waterview to Crystal Palace, Tourism , Tipper garage and mostly GRA [ Almost every street in GRA] parades those ladies who could be Susane Wenger, Michele Obama, Chimanmada Adichie, Buchi Emechatta, Turai Yaradua, Muina Shagaya and host of other eminently recognized Nigeria women all around the world in the nearest future ‘ runs-ing’ their future away. For all the time I saw these scenes, I would wonder if such situation and condition ever played in the mind of the brilliant Novelist, Buchi Emechata, when she wrote the award-wining Joy of Motherhood. For no less the fact, there’s no joy neither for the parent nor the society where their female students – the said mothers of the nation, trade away their grace, glory and blessings.
Of course, you should wonder how Campus prostitution has almost had an association in Kwara State. The mere thought of a possible name is so nauseating and repudiating! Yet, the reality is not far from it. These ladies meet at ‘business joints’ either discussing the escapades of yesterday or wishing, hoping and discussing possibilities of the new day. It appears for all they care; prostitution is just another money-making venture they could do. The risks of disease and hazards of evils may take the backstage in their dark, ignorant mind.
This is why it is so sad, disheartened and melancholic when one of such ladies mysteriously disappeared in the middle of last week. There may be nothing as bad as having a Final year student become a missing person just like that. Muma as she was fondly called , was a student of Unilorin with wayward ways. According to our sources, ‘’ she had gone out again like every other day but was never seen again till this point in time. All efforts to reach her have proved abortive. We fear something grave has not happened to her’’. But this may be the mildest of their travails.
There was one, a 300- level student of Al-Hikmah University, who had gone to visit a big man in Abuja in an ‘inter-state Conquest’. But our Miss Conqueror never knew that would be the last hunting for her like the proverbial stray dog that would not listen to the hunter’s honest call. She returned after 3days with springs in her walks and pads in her shoulders- so happy like the Miss World. Our dear lady was always ready to show off at will. Little did we know ‘’ that she had been used until she started getting strangely lean and haggard- looking. In about 2 weeks she has lost many pounds. We have not been seeing her in school again’’.
Maybe this story may interest you too. A very beautiful Kwara Poly lady, an ND II Public Administration student, had yielded to pressure of her peers to start ‘’ hustling’’ with them. She was said to have just gone twice or thrice before she came across her woes. Maryam [not real name] had gone out with a guy arranged for her by the accursed friends. They had gone to a bar having drinks before going under the sheets for the business of the day when the place was suddenly surrounded by the police, who had traced him all the way from Osun state. Her customer was an alleged member of armed-robbery syndicate in Osun who was on the run until that fateful night. She was arrested with them and that was the last heard of a promising lady.
There was another who was rusticated at Unilorin. She had got carried away with the glitz in the night that she had neglected her education. Of course, after much failure, the uncompromising authority booted her out of the system despite overtures by some lecturers who must have had ‘ a taste of the cherry’ with the promise to help her game the system. This is how much these female students misused their independence and privacy for much unwholesome exploits.
The Kwara State University Malete [KWASU] isn’t left out in the wind of immorality blowing about in our institutions. Tales abound of their students escapades. What’s most surprising is that despite how much evils associated with prostitution, our ladies seem unyielding and unrelenting. Aritz, a shortened form of her name was a ‘runs’ girl too. She must have met a Senior Comrade-in evil that fateful night that had tactfully made her had too much to drink. After he might have had his ways with her contentedly, he went to drop her at Gambari Junction, lying half-consciously until she was revived by a good night watchman. According to our sources, this lady was from a well-known and respected family in Ilorin! That’s how far and how bad campus prostitution has spread its fang in some of these Kwara-based institutions.
Meanwhile, there are some people gaining from these absurdities; the Olokadas and the Policeman! While moving about on this report, I had stumbled on a scene where the policemen had stopped an Okada ferrying two young ladies apparently to joints, and maybe home, after an early business. The time was quarter to 1am or there about, when we were flagged down along with them. After about two minutes of back and forth, they were convinced I could take my leave. The bike I rode on took the most inauspicious time to fail to start and we got delayed for some minutes before it coughed into life. It was in between its brief faint and resurrection I took a careful watch at the drama before us. I discovered the harshness to that okada man was because of the girls. They had scared him so much that when he was asked to leave he put his legs on the gear. They started ‘harassing’ the ladies too. No, maybe harassing is unfair to a party; they had started vibrating and ‘transacting ‘in the real sense of it.
The ladies had flashed their ID cards in a certain man’s face but he wouldn’t bulge. My Okada man told me that the lady would ‘play the ball’ or risk parting with their hard-earned money. I feel she chose to play the ball! Inside Ilorin, dear reader, there’s a new world within the world.
The quite loquacious bike man had definitely noticed me putting things down at almost every place of interest. When he was sure I was doing something on the students’ prostitute, he took his time to tell me some of the things you read here and some that are better left unsaid. I gathered that daring and hardworking Olokadas reap hefty gain carrying the ‘night workers’ to and fro too. They apparently relish dealing with them. He confided ‘’ we often wait and pray for them. They are the real deal. An early trip to Malete to drop a retreating ‘hustler’ could be N1000’’ an elated bike man had enthused.
Meanwhile, cursory looks at the reasons why our female students prostitute leave much to be desired of our government, institutions and parents/ guardians. The combination of deficiencies in one or all of these three is the root of the germinating seeds of immorality in the young ladies.
For instance, we had gathered that some of these ladies enter the struggle for survival on campus when nothing is forthcoming from their poor parents. A certain Jemilah, a Kwasu student was said to have joined the ‘religion’ because she couldn’t get to meet her needs on campus. Our source, a coursemate of Jemilah, had told us that ‘She was always asking for raise from some of us. I just noticed that she changed all of a sudden until I learnt that she was going out at night’’.
In another vein, Habby, a name presumed to be shortened form of Habibah , got into the mess due to peer pressure , loneliness and boredom. An obviously repented Habibah [not real name] is from a well-to-do family in Ilorin. She confided in Theinformant247 crew that she was lured into ‘runs’ by friends and course mates. ‘’ I used to be very lonely when I joined the school in 200-level. I knew these ladies were always going out every weekend and would come back in the morning. They would speak glowingly of their time out unknown to me it was a bait. My first experience is better left unsaid.’’ A visibly sad Habby remarked.
Meanwhile, the possibility of the students being cultists isn’t impossible. A bike man on another day of research had relayed a very strange but heart- wrenching scene he witnessed to me. Mr. Babako, who said he had been riding Okada for almost a decade, confided in me that these students might be in some secret groups. He said he had set out that day hoping he could get to ‘’ take them back to school when he stumbled on them fighting fiercely at Post Office. I was taken aback by their stamina and strength. After they were separated with the help of other two men, I heard one said to the other two different ladies that they dare not bow out of the group because they ‘’ fed and nurture them’’. They threatened death and further fights and I was so sad to behold the reality of Ashawo students being cultists too’’.
Notwithstanding the hardship, a good child should always be decent. However, some may not be able to hold for long. This is why parents should try their best to cater for their wards. That aside, parents should also endeavor to check their children in school from time to time. Family is the smallest but the most powerful unit of the society, they should make it a point of duty to teach their wards morals, values and good characters.
The government should be up and doing in discharging its social responsibilities. There’s a palpable rise in immorality amongst the youth which should be disturbing. Perhaps urgent measures and policies to restore morals and increase values in the society are most necessary at this point in time. Aside the epileptic payment of salaries and emoluments of civil servants which have direct effects on their families and an urgent need to correct that unwholesome trend, this society need social rebirth!
Our institution should start looking at the feasibility of awareness, sensitization and orientation on Campus prostitution. There’s an uncovered shyness which could be as a result of our cultural inclinations regarding sexual- related discourse or sex education. Unless this is abruptly reversed, the negatives may be very catastrophic.
Before Prostitution becomes a ‘religion ‘, these young coverts should be rebirth right away!