metro

Concerns as commercial sex workers invade Lagos malls, lure men

Published

1 year ago

October 10, 2023

Concerns as commercial sex workers invade Lagos malls, lure men

Concerns are rising as young ladies suspected to be commercial sex workers now loiter around major shopping malls and highbrow streets in Lagos to lure prospective customers.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the skimpily-dressed ladies usually position themselves in strategic locations within the malls to lure men.

Our correspondents who visited places such as Ikeja City Mall, Festival Mall and Allen Avenue observed that ladies suspected to be between the ages of 20 and 30 were lurking around the premises to woo prospective customers.

One of our correspondents who visited ICM around 10pm on Saturday was accosted by no fewer than three different young ladies in revealing and sexually enticing blouses.

Our correspondent who pretended to be interested gathered that the prices being charged by the sex workers vary from one person to another and other factors such as the duration and the location of the venue.

For instance, it was learnt that a short time romp within the area would cost N15,000, while an overnight stay at our correspondent’s choice of place would cost N30,000, excluding transportation costs.

When our correspondent asked how much it would cost for a weekend, one of the ladies replied, “N50,000 from Friday to Sunday morning. You will pay for my transport fare to your place.”

The situation is similar at the Festival Mall in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the state.

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Fearing that the surge in the activities of the suspected call girls, pretending to be visiting the premises for shopping, residents claimed the ladies’ activities in the area were capable of causing serious security breaches in the area.

A resident identified as Precious claimed young girls used the mall daily to engage in all manner of sexual immoralities.

“There are days that I see young girls doing all sorts of things because of money, especially during weekends. It is sometimes alarming, but there is nothing we can do about it,” Precious said.

A security guard identified simply as Peter said they were used to seeing the ladies around, adding that some of them even sleep with men inside their cars.

“Some of them even have sexual intercourse inside cars. When you ask them why they are engaging in such immoral acts, they will insult you, telling you it’s none of your business,” he said.

A man simply identified as Dan said, “If you see what we see here, especially at night, when it is 8.30 pm or 9 pm, it is always an eyesore because you will see the way people are paired up, in twos and threes, doing all manner of things.”

At Allen Avenue, Ikeja, ladies in different shapes stood by both sides of the roads, beckoning at every male passerby and waving down vehicles going in and out of the street.

A man who claimed to be familiar with the ladies’ activities and charges told one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity that a short time fun during a downpour in places not far from Allen Avenue could go as low as N5,000.

“It is a little cheaper during a downpour because they barely get customers. So if you are lucky, you can get one of them for as low as N5,000,” he said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, was not available to comment on the security issues being raised by the residents as of the time of filing this report.

Concerns as commercial sex workers invade Lagos malls, lure men

Punch

metro

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.