Lagos, The Fountain of Opportunities
The city of Lagos is the centre of opportunities in addition to being Nigeria’s commercial capital. From top corporate executives to significant names in the entertainment sector, you would hear stories of people who spent their first months living under bridges or squatting in some squalid spaces but turn out to own mansions of their own.
The truth is that with a measure of focus, hard work and a bit of Divine favour, there are no limits to what people can become in Lagos. It is the city where dreams become reality, where legends are made, and talents or skills turn into bags of money. Lagos does not discriminate, whether you are male or female, old or young, poor or rich, black, white, yellow or green, just find your space in Lagos and occupy it for effect.
So just as it is a conglomeration of people, Lagos is also an assemblage of dreams, passions and ambitions or lack of it. Even though dreams differ, nearly everyone in Lagos, especially those who migrate from other parts of the country come into the city to make success of one endeavour or the other. And most often than not, they do not fail to accomplish. And that is not just restricted to Nigerians, even foreigners, especially those are regarded as “white” tap from the blessings that Lagos.
The ‘White’ Community in Lagos
But that is not a surprise. The city of Lagos and some of its residents glorify foreigners like they would gods. Given the enormous investment opportunities that Nigeria presents, foreigners throng into the country like ants around sugar with some of them becoming employers of labour and working hard to integrate themselves into the social life of Lagos.
For instance, the Lebanese are front runners in retail shopping. They own a large number of supermarkets and shopping malls. They also control some of the largest and most successful restaurants in Lagos.
The Chinese, Europeans and Americans have equally become integrated and familiar with the Lagos system as they live and move comfortably amongst the people patronising the rural markets, buying, selling and rendering services to Nigerians who are already accustomed to some of their meals and in need of their services. These group of foreigners are gradually owning businesses or forming partnerships across the country and certainly savouring the hospitality of the people.
And as they increase in presence, a number of Nigerian women have devised ways to give these foreigners pleasure in exchange for a fee.
Enter the White Hunters
Most of these business owners, oil & gas workers, telecoms & IT executives and other such companies – are either unmarried or come into Nigeria without their spouses. Consequently, there are a crop of Nigeria women making brisk business out of the sensual needs of these foreigners.
These women whose ages range between 18 and 50, are the CEOs and managing directors of the night, their bodies are their offices and the clubs are their points of sale. They take the sex trade as any other job where you need an education, some experience and smartness to thrive. And in the case of white hunters, the goal is to get down with a white man or nothing!
Although poverty is frequently the reason sex workers tout as incentive for their endeavours, investigations by eelive.ng reveal that more reasons than poverty drive people in Lagos into becoming white hunters.
Investigations by our reporter who met with insiders in the business revealed that a number of well educated and gainfully employed ladies, even upcoming actresses, ply this trade either to live more luxurious lives or the chance that they might become live-in lovers with their men and even become their Nigerian “wives”. Others hope to just get pregnant and become “baby mamas”. In addition, these ladies also look forward to being sent on shopping and holiday trips to whatever countries they fancy.
Ladies who do this business as a means of earning extra income call their trade a ‘side hustle’. They are happy with the monies that they make and the extra benefit of being in the company of the high and mighty – the foreign demi-gods.
When They Hit the Target
Speaking to eelive.ng, a prominent white hunter based in Lekki area of Lagos explained the circumstances that led her into the business and how well she has fared in just a few years, with a five-year-old boy to show for it.
Known as Madam Tokyo, she explained that she left her husband of several years. This was due to the constant beating that she continued to endure at his hands. She explained that although she had borne four children by this ex-husband; he refused to provide for his family and did not listen to anyone who intervened.
“He put me through a lot, I gave him my youth and five children; yet he constantly maltreated and disrespected me. In marriage, I had to beg to feed my children. Although my husband had businesses that were doing well; he was spending the money on other women. He completely neglected me and my children. At a point I could no longer talk to anyone about it, so I left Benin; where we were to come to Lagos,” she explained.
On arriving Lagos, Tokyo moved in with some of her friends who only went to work at night. She tried her hand at some menial jobs; since getting married at 18 denied her the opportunity for any serious education. At the end of the day however, she joined her friends in the white hunting business. Years down the line, tells her story.
“We meet our men in the clubs and some karaoke houses which I do not want to name. There are clubs for just white people, although some black men still come there the number of white men is way higher than that of black men. Ladies alwaysinto clubs, after all the men are there to drink and to pick women that will keep them company at night. Although at most of the clubs, women must pay gate fees to gain access on certain days of the week, Friday to Sunday precisely. Other than that, any woman can get into any club.”
Now 45 and looking much unlike it, she confirms that most of the white men who are in the country for business are mostly in their fifties and prefer “mature” women, unlike Nigerian men who prefer young good-looking women.
She explained that with white men, any age works, all you need is to maintain a good body and skin. White men are not particular about the facial beauty of the women they hook up with as long as they get their sexual satisfaction.
“They also pay better and treat women better. Some of the Lagos men who come to clubs are mere salary earners; they cannot afford to give out a lot to women for the satisfaction they want.
Some of them bargain from as low as five thousand naira; never willing to pay more than twenty thousand naira per night. With white men, especially the Americans; a lady can get up to fifty to a hundred thousand naira for one night. This is the salary most graduates take home after working for a month,” Tokyo added in explanation of the attraction to white men.
And it gets better: “Once you render great service and display a calm character, you are likely to become his main chick. That means your problems becomes his.
He would treat you like a queen by lodging you in some of the best hotels in Lagos; take you on shopping spheres, purchase expensive gifts and clothing’s for you.
You will not have to hook up with any random man again. One white man can fulfil every single need you can ever have.”
She talked about how she met the father of her last child: “For instance, I met my son’s father in a club, came into Lagos for a contract job which lasted about two years. I met him after six months of his stay in Nigeria. We got along so well that he made me his main woman; he rented a three-bedroom flat for me in Lekki and gave me unlimited access to his cars.
“He was very good to me, all he required was that I remain honest to him, they hate lies… Allowed me to still go clubbing by myself or with my friends even when he decided to stay back. There were no restrictions to my movement, no form of control at all. He was a little over 60 years then, although he has a wife in England, his constant travels did not allow him time with her.”
And then the unthinkable happened and things went awry, ruining the smooth relationship between the two.
She explained: “We were together for a year when I found that I was pregnant for him. I did not expect it, he told me he did not want any children, at his age he did not have any children at all. Frankly, he just did not want kids because he would not have the time to raise and care for them.
He asked me to get rid of it, at my age then I worried about having a baby; but I loved the old man enough to keep the child. I knew he would go back soon, I wanted to keep a part of him. Despite the fact that I did not plan to get pregnant, I was also not ready to get rid of my child.
The child now lives with her sister in Surulere; she has hit the streets in search of better prospect that may lead to another marriage. Toyko is still very much in the game.
Anna, who is currently in a steady relationship with a Lebanese man also told eelive.ng about her experience. Very much like Tokyo, she explained that the preference for men like her current one is for the better returns it brings.
The trick, according to her is to look good, dance around these men, try to get their attention. If you’re lucky, a white man would pick you to spend the night with. She pointed out that sometimes, more than two white hunters catch the attention of one man. Any girl he picks is the lucky one.
This lady is doubly lucky in her case; because the man she is dating is out of the country a lot “and that gives me the opportunity to hunt for better prospects. Even though he sends me money regularly while away. I am like on a monthly stipend with him. Whenever he is back in the country, I know he owns me.
I am hopeful that he would one day ask me to marry him; I would have accomplished all my desires. We have strong communication as he is constantly in touch with me. And since he has no suspicion about what I am doing when he is away. I think things will work in my favour.”
But Danger is Always Lurking
But like it is with most things in life, some win and lose in the game of being white hunters. It is not always as rosy as it seems to have turned out for Tokyo and Anna. eelive.ng learnt that the risks involved in the business include desperate girls who engage in diabolical acts to displace other girls; fetish foreigners who make devious demands on the girls and failure to honour agreements amongst others.
Amina, another lady who spoke to eelive.ng revealed, “Hmmmm, I once hooked up with a Lebanese man I met in the club. He was going to pay fifty thousand naira for the night; it was a good deal and I went with him.
“When it was time to get down to business, he made me lie in uncomfortable positions. He hit me very hardy and used objects in my private parts. The louder I screamed the more he continued. I felt so reluctant; people warned me about the Asians and their strange requests. I even heard that some force girls to sleep with animals like snakes and dogs!”
Our sources also revealed that many of the girls have become so desperate that they now use charms to get white men. They do not only use charms for favours with white men; they also use it against anyone they perceive to be their competition in the game. “It is a dangerous road and one must hold on to whatever god they believe in.”
One of the other challenges that the younger white hunters face is with the ‘madams’; some who have made money in the business, own a few houses where they accommodate girls that they recruit and train. These ‘madams’ rent the apartments for these girls.
They then deduct rent and other bills from the money the girls earn from every white man they catch. Sources inform us that these ‘madams’ are mean to these girls and usually make life difficult for them.
Yet, most of these women will not consider settling with a Nigerian man.
When asked, Tokyo told us: “Not at all, all our men are the same. They do not know how to treat women. I still believe that I will meet and marry a white man; one that will take me out of this country and change my life for the best. After all, I am not the oldest in the game. There is always a white man willingly to hook up with older women like myself.”
