if you pass through the streets of Ajiwe in Ajah town, Lagos, during the day, you’ll notice a lot: sprawling residential estates lining the road, mom-and-pop shops, a few POS operators, children playing roadside games, and the bustling “God is Good” motor park. A more observant passerby, however, will spot a dingy, beige-coloured, three-story motel called “Travellers Lodge” beside the park. During the day, it’s a casual spot to watch football, grab a drink at the local bar, or buy a pack of Indomie. But as night falls, the motel becomes more than a safe haven for a weary traveller. It becomes a darker identity: a haven for sex work. It’s a common sight to see young women, some teenagers, with revealing mini-skirts and flashy hairstyles loitering around the entrance and veranda, shaking their hips seductively to the rhythm of loud afrobeat music blaring through the speakers; enticing male customers, including noisy intoxicated men from the streets and bus ‘agberos’ (conductors) from the bar, to their rooms. I know of this because I have lived in the estate near the surroundings for ten years. I have passed the premises both night and day, and I always knew that something strange was going on. But I never knew the full extent of the happenings there, until I stumbled upon my unlikely confidante, a cleaner named Berenice. Berenice*, who had worked in the lodge since 2020, knew every hidden corner in the motel and had witnessed certain injustices, such as the beating and slapping of these young girls. It was through her accounts of tearful young girls and the men who paid for their innocence that the true extent of the lodge’s dark secret was revealed. With her help, my colleague Kabir and I were able to infiltrate the premises and learn more about what the lodge truly is. The stories of Sweet, Faith and RoseOn different occasions, Kabir and I went undercover to Travellers Lodge as a customer and a prospective sex worker, respectively. For Kabir, his experience was filled with propositions by three sex workers – Sweet*, Faith* and Rose* – at the bar, a large outdoor space with white plastic chairs and tables. You could buy your drinks at the counter, sit down, and watch the ladies dance on the mounted pillars when they’re available. He was able to convince them to take him to their rooms, where all three women shared their stories. “It’s just the “hustle”” Sex work for Sweet did not come as a choice but as the only logical explanation towards making money. Her story starts in 2014 when she finished secondary school and came to live with her uncle in Lagos from Rivers State. His wife was rarely at home, and could only be seen once every two weeks. This gave the uncle an opportunity to touch her indecently in her private areas. “Once that happened to me, I just knew that I had to leave. I spent some years hawking on the streets before a friend introduced me to this place, where I could get more money. Since then, I don’t regret the experience. There are men who come here without even f***ing me. One man came here for two hours, bought me food and drinks, and left without doing a thing. It might not be a good job, but if you know what you’re doing, you’ll enjoy this place. It is just the hustle,” she explained. Money for Sweet isn’t bad at all. She claims to make up to N50,000 on good nights, and her rent is N6,000 daily (which is the same for all the sex workers). “If you’re not always owing them, you can ask them to go and come back later,” she said. Sexual violence is a common experience for many of the young women at Travel Lodge. However, such is not peculiar to them. In 2022, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported a significant rise in rape cases. The World Health Organisation says nearly one in three women (approximately 30 per cent) globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or acquaintance at some point in their lives. “Be nice to them and they won’t harass you”On another occasion, Rose, who also works as a caterer at the lodge, explained to Kabir the process of becoming a sex worker at the lodge – be attractive and have the ability to afford the first day’s rental fee upfront. Unlike a white-collar job, you can even define your working hours: Rose has a “15-hours off, 15-hours on.” Like Sweet, Rose also came to the lodge by unfortunate means, as her shop in Lagos got burnt in October, alongside her place of residence. “Everything I do here is to help me provide money for myself until I can get enough money to have my own place again,” she explained. “My family cannot know about this”Unlike Sweet and Rose, not everyone arrived at the lodge in tragic circumstances. Some of the women did not become sex workers due to lack of money. One such woman is Faith, whose older sisters reportedly study medicine and law in the UK. Faith also said her mother is a “Nollywood actress.” She said her parents think she works as a receptionist in a Lagos firm. Faith, however said she is not proud of the work she does. “I can’t even allow my younger sister into this trade,” she said. “She smokes and dresses scantily, but some of the men here are too rough for her tastes. I too, am only here until my sugar daddy is ready to take me away from this place.” When asked if she considers the possible health implications of sex work, she said she takes precautions. “I just went for an HIV test last month, and I am clean,” she said. How did the Travellers’ Lodge come to be? According to Berenice, the lodge has “different stories” of origin, depending on who you ask. “Some will…
