–Wealthy students
By Nguamo Aka
Among their fellow students, they stand out as the rich children, who hardly bother about where the funds for their next meal and other basic needs would come from.
Some of them are also popular for their ability to daze greedy lecturers with cash for marks and have their way in tough subjects, no thanks to their affluent parents, who readily load them with money.
Rich kids in sex trade
But their glow stops at that point! For strange reasons, they are also caught in the web of increasing sexual immorality among students, which has turned many of Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning into citadels of commercial sex.
These special class of campus prostitutes has become more daring as many of them have devised new and diverse strategies to market their fleshy wares. A recent investigation by Abuja Metro revealed that sex trade among female undergraduates is booming on campuses and even in brothels in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It was discovered that contrary to popular assumption that most female students involved in sex trade are from poor families, checks revealed that students from wealthy and comfortable homes also engage in the filthy lucre.
Ironically, the private universities generally regarded as an exclusive preserve for children of the rich and the affluent, are also caught by the bug and some of them had weird reasons for being involved.
One of them in a private university in Abuja, who gave her name as Linda, told our reporter that she just wanted to be known and respected as a “big girl”, adding that her mates get jealous of her whenever she discloses to them, the class of men she goes out with.
She said: “I am a final year student in my school, but the truth is that some of us do this to gain popularity among our fellow students. We do not just do this with any kind of person. We go for the very rich men like Senators and members of House of Representatives as well as rich business men. When we tell our mates the kind of men we meet, they call us big girls and are loyal to us.
“This makes us feel on top of the world because we are dealing with class. To us, money is secondary because my father can give me any amount I need. But having an affair with big men is interesting, we don’t just go to any kind of hotels, our hang out spots are big hotels and the feeling is good.
Another student, Halima Yusuf, who said she hails from Kaduna State and also a 300 level Accounting student in the same school, said she doesn’t call it prostitution. According to her, she prefers calling it the baptismal name which is ‘Runs’. “For me, I do this because I cannot stay with one man. It is irritating to stay with one man for long, that’s for me. I need a touch from everywhere. It is also for money because money is never enough. At times, the people I go out with don’t even give me anything but I just like the feeling of sleeping with different people.”
Another 200 level student Juliet, said lack of liberty in her house is her driving force.
“We don’t go out, it is only when I come to school that I have the chance to go out and have fun to do things. I like it because you get to meet different people and men of calibre. To me, money is not the problem because my parents provide me with everything I need. I have it all, my parents are wealthy or else I won’t be in this school. They give me enough money to keep me going. But I need fun in my life, that’s the only thing I lack so I can only get that when am in school.”
Reacting to the situation, a mother of four and retired lecturer, Mrs Mercy George, said: “It is frightening because you don’t know what these children are doing outside the home and you can’t be with them. You can’t underestimate peer pressure. I used to tell my children about all sorts of pressure in the university because I passed through the system. But to a large extent, I think it has to do with greed. If a student has everything she needs, and she is still involved in this act, then the world is not safe anymore. Home training is also important; parents have a lot to do to lay good foundation for their children. This issue has to be resolved immediately because with diseases nowadays, our children are at risk.