Customers are nowhere to be found

Kano sex workers lament loss of customers due to ongoing protests [Osun Defender]

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the protests had crippled social-economic activities, leaving them without customers and struggling to survive.

Monica James, who operates on France Road, said that dialogue was the only option to address the grievances of the protesters.

“I have not eaten for two days because of the curfew; our customers are nowhere to be found,” she said.

She urged the organisers to shelve their protests and negotiate with the government to end the demonstrations.

Deborah Iliya, a sex worker on Yoruba Road, who echoed James’ sentiments, described the situation as horrible, as she has not been able to find customers.

Hannatu Ibrahim of Weather head area, also called for an end to the protests, joining the growing calls for a return to normalcy. Caroline James, a sex worker operating from a brothel on Enugu Street in Sabon Gari, said that the infiltration of hoodlums and subsequent violence “spoilt our business.”

She said that she had booked clients who were willing to pay between ₦30,000 and ₦40,000, but they were unable to keep their appointments due to the tension and curfew. A sex worker, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that some of her colleagues were forced to share rooms due to the lack of customers during the protest.

She appealed to the authorities to relax the curfew, stating that it had severely impacted their ability to conduct business.

Moses John, a bar attendant, told NAN that the curfew had severely impacted business activities in Sabon Gari, with hotels and bars hardly selling due to the absence of customers.

Kenneth John, a dealer in Esi Ewu (goat head) on Aitken Road, told NAN that the curfew had negatively impacted business activities in Sabon Gari, lamenting that he had lost several heads of goats due to lack of power supply.