Picture this: After a heavy downpour on Allen Avenue, Lagos’ Sin Street, a black Acura SUV eased to a stop in front of a notorious high-end strip club and a skimpily clad lady whose appearance screamed prostitute waiting by the sidewalk promptly entered the car.
A brief conversation ensued between them. She brought out a Point of sale (PoS) machine, and the man at the wheel slotted in a MasterCard, punched in a five-digit figure. He zoomed off. What went on afterwards was nobody’s business. This sex game is obviously an old shenanigan, the mode of payment, a new twist to it. Cashless sex is apparently a better title to it.
‘Transactional’ sex has gone digital.
In the city of Lagos, the digital revolution takes firm grip on the daily life of the citizens as shoppers are abandoning cash for digital payment using their Value Cards to purchase needful things and luxurious items––including sex!
The cashless option has become popular among prostitutes and operators of brothels and strippers.
Patrons of the city’s ‘fleshpots’ can attest that payment via PoS has become the preferred payment mode in high-end brothels and strip clubs of Lagos.
“The introduction of PoS is a good one. Me, naturally don’t go out with raw cash,” an old patron, Jeff, testified of the new development.
A DAILY POST city-wide findings show how this has changed the dynamics of transactional sex at the city’s various red light districts.
The entrance of a ‘cashless’ sex house located in Ikotun, a Lagos suburb carried the bold inscription on the wall: “PoS Available,” The message is clear and boldly written. With PoS, it is ‘pay before service.’
Most of the rooms have PoS points. An extra one is at the reception for general use. Kassy, one of the resident sex workers who manages a beauty saloon and a boutique at daytime, brings her private PoS device to the brothel as well for outside business of sex trade.
The sex-for-money mercenary described the introduction of PoS as a blessing for the flesh trade.
“I have had issues with men complaining that they wanted to have fun, but no cash at hand. But since the introduction of the PoS machine, once you have your MasterCard, you are in for fun. Fun unlimited.”
Asked if it is pay-before-service, the fair-complexioned prostitute said, “For me, as an independent person, it is not always. I have trusted customers who don’t go about with raw cash. Once we are done, I will bring out the machine for him to make the payment, there’s no big deal. But for some JJC, it is pay before service to avoid stories that touch,” she said amid a seductive smile.
Across the street, another unholy mansion also operates the PoS regime. It has only one PoS terminal for the use of its inmates. According to the price list, quickie goes for N5000 while an all-night romp is priced at N15,000 but a customer would find himself punching in N5,200––including condom cost for a short time sex. Take Away (go away with the lady) ranges between 30,000 and above depending on the shape and poise of the lady.
One of the commercial sex workers, Priye, who spoke with our undercover reporter, complained that the management of the hotel often cheats them by taking what she termed ‘outrageous commission’ from her hustle. The 300 level undergraduate of Delta State University said before now, she took home no lesser than 20k per day. Now, she has to wait till the end of the week to get her pay from the management of the hotel, after rent deductions.
“It is fun but crazy at the same time,” she says. “Before now, I make about 20k per day and go away with my money, but since the introduction of the PoS here, I will have to wait till the end of the week to get my pay.”
Another shocking finding by this reporter during one of his visits to the brothel was the rentage of the device to commercial sex workers for outside usage.
The owner of the brothel hires out the device to any sex worker who is interested in using it for the weekend at the rate of 5k. A day rentage goes for just N1, 500.
DAILY POST findings reveal other outlets using the PoS payment, including a new bride, Cephas Cave, a hotel, and Golden Grooveyard strip club both located on Allen Avenue.
The investigation also revealed that rich and highly connected society cashless men now frequent some of these secluded unholy zones, for the despicable sexual acts.
The ‘house of sex’ are all similar in their modus operandi, and parade all kinds of girls, both from Nigeria and beyond, who are ready to bare it all, to the admiration and fantasy of both male and female fun seekers. At a brothel in Ikotun, the following conversation ensued between a prostitute and our reporter:
Why the shift to payment via PoS?
Because the world is gradually going cashless and we need to follow the trend so we don’t run out of business. Sometimes, many customers don’t like going about with money so the introduction of PoS machines helps a lot. I remember in 2014 when a customer came to pick me from the house around 1 am on a Sunday to Lekki. On our way, after CMS, he decided to enter one of the ATM galleries to make withdrawal. After he finished collecting the money, robbers accosted us and made away with all the money he had withdrawn including my Blackberry Porsche. I will never forget that day.
What if it fails?
It has never failed me, I don’t know about others.
Who owns the one you are using here?
It is owned by the owner of this place. Sometimes, he releases it to us for outside business provided he gets a commission.
How much commission does he get?
It depends on prior agreement you had with him. For instance, if you are going out with the PoS for weekend, he collects 5k but if it is for ‘quickie’ he takes 5 percent.
How much have you made from this business?
Wait, all these your JAMB questions sef. You wan do abi na wetin sef? You think say I come here come look your tribal marks.
She terminated the conversation on an angry note.
An encounter with another sex trader around Toyin Street, Ikeja shows that the new technology is no longer a new thing among patrons of commercial sex workers. Most sex hawkers on parade on Allen Avenue at nights are armed with PoS device. As soon as you drive through the Lagos ‘Vanity Fair’, you could hear sex traders whispering: PoS! PoS! Go-go girls ready for cashless sex on the go.
At a strip club in Allen Avenue, some of the strippers parade the place with PoS terminals in case patron runs out of cash.
According to our finding, on the high end-street of Allen, one session of ‘cashless quickie’ goes a minimum of 30k. Customers using the PoS pay extra tariffs than those offering raw cash.
Inquisitiveness on the part of this writer led to a conversation with one of the strippers who simply gave her name as A3. Diminutive, dark-skinned and pretty A3 said the PoS device has been a boost to their business since it was introduced.
“As long as you have your MasterCard and there is money in your account, no more wahala. If you no get raw cash now and you need blowjob or serious lap dance, just slot in your card now let the fun begin and stop sitting down like a Bishop,” the unclad girl said while trying to seduce the writer for a dance. “I am okay, don’t feel like dancing,” this reporter replied before moving off the place.
In separate chats with our reporter, most patrons applauded the new ‘invention’.
“This looks more like it.” Lekan, a patron said of the introduction of PoS into the illicit business. “I have used it severally and I think is the best option. My conscience pricks me each time I give out raw cash to them,” added.
A few other persons, however, faulted the extra charges on the use of the device.
“The introduction of PoS is a good one but the extra charges is discouraging sort of. Me naturally don’t like going out with raw cash. So I sometime resort to the use of the device for a good time,” an old patron, Jeff, hailed the new development.
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