I had cash to burn. My employers had just paid six months arrears of salary they owed me. My
account rose from a negative balance to hundreds of thousands of naira in one day. It was time
to celebrate and the bank credit alert had come in on a Friday afternoon. I rushed to the bank
and withdrew all the money from the account and kept it in my wardrobe at home. I didn’t trust
the bank with my money because of issues I had with them in the past. That Friday night, I
decided to drive to Maitama to have some fun. It would be my first time of visiting the red-light
district of Uyo.
Maitama is located in the serene Ewet housing estate, a government reserved area in the city.
It’s a bubbly place where people congregate to have fun, the nightlife is very colourful and the
parties never stop till day break.
I surveyed the fun spots and headed straight to Maxson night club. Being a new face, I decided
to get friendly with the bouncers and I tipped them N2000 each and balled in like a boss.
The club was big and nicely decorated. The flashing neon lights and multi coloured led club
lights gave a warm ambience to the interior. The whole arena was filled with night revelers
having different variants of fun.
As I searched for a seat, someone lightly pushed me on the back, and by implication asking me
to get out of his way. The individual was a young man walking with two scantily clad girls by his
side.
I moved away to give them room to pass, then for a brief moment, our eyes met and we both
recognized each other.
He was brother Divine, the head of the prayer band in my church.
We both laughed to diffuse the awkward situation.
“Hi brother”
“Hi brother”
“Give unto Ceaser the things that are Ceaser’s…” he said nervously.
“And unto God the things that are God….” I completed the bible verse.
We hastily turned away from each other, as if we were suddenly ashamed of quoting bible verses
in a night club.
Although I have heard many tales of Maitama babes, i wasn’t prepared for the sights that i saw.
All the girls were almost nude. They were clad in skimpy outfits that hid nothing from the eyes
and left nothing to imagination. They were attired in various tight cleavages of bum shorts,
miniskirts and spaghetti tops with which ever part of their bodies that they considered to be their
assets in full display.
I sat down at an unoccupied table and ordered for drinks while still surveying the arena.
Some of the girls were dancing on a stage and i could see long poles far ahead of me.
This was a strip club with strippers twisting, twirling and turning.
Wafts of smoke rose up in the air. I perceived the aroma of Indian hemp and marijuana in the
hall. At a corner, a sizeable crowd were smoking shisha from the pipe. The volume of the music
playing on the deejay’s turntable was at full blast, and the sexy girls and their male escorts were
dancing as they smoked while hordes of males sat, watching in admiration and licking their lips
in desire and anticipation.
“Baby baby fire dey go…all the boys dey don kolo and dey want some potopompom”
The girls were a blend of the old and the young; the teens and adults, the experienced and
novices. They danced, shaking and swaying their hips to the beat of Flavour’s Nwababy remix…
“waka waka baby…wuru wuru baby
And I go tell my mama, i go tell my papa
Baby sawale…sawa sawale…..”
“Hey honey, want a lap dance?” A gorgeous girl whom I believed had been observing and
studying me since I walked into the club, whispered into my ears with a broad smile on her heavy
makeup plastered face. Her breath reeked of alcohol and cigarette smoke.
“No, thank you”, i replied.
“Wetin you dey look sef? You be policeman?” She inquired in a jovial tone and laughed, betraying
a nice set of teeth.
“If i be police, i for don arrest you tey tey” I replied with a grin.
She laughed heartily and snuggled up to me.
“I like you, let”s go and have fun, i go do you well well…you go enjoy.” she winked seductively,
rubbing my back with her palms.
“What”s your name?” i asked for want of what to say.
“Kimberly. I work here. We fit go my room for short time or you fit carry me out to your place till
day break, anyhow you want am, I go follow you”
“Relax jor, the night is still young. Drink some wine”. I said to her as i poured the red wine into a
glass for her.
I came here to loosen up and have fun but this pretty girl with creamy laps was muddling up my
brain. The wads of naira notes in my pocket were screaming to be spent.
“You are a gentleman. I like you” Kimberly said and leaned against me, “I hope say you no be
policeman o because we don already settle all police this night”
“Okay, I be police, make you come settle me” I said with a giggle.
“Oya, make we go my room…”
More people joined the dance floor swaying their hips and gyrating to the music. There seemed
to be a backdoor where couples exited the dancehall. I guessed the door led to the brothel where
the girls lived and practiced their craft.
“You fit carry my sister join with me” she said, waving to a replica of herself standing beside us.
“This is Annabel my twin sister, Annabell say hi to our friend”
Maybe it was the alcohol, but I seem to have lost control of myself.
“Let’s go to my house, my car is outside” I said to them.
“Na 20k you go give us o” Kimberly replied with a triumphant smile.
“Money no be problem”
*************************
We drove them home. We got to my comfy and well furnished one bedroom apartment.
“Your house fine o. You go marry me make I come live with you?”Kimberly inquired.
“Relax make I remove your shirt” Annabell ordered.
I leaned on the sofa and smiled in anticipation. Kimberly was unbuttoning my shirt while Annabel
cupped hands and moved close to me. The last thing I remembered was white powder blown on
my face and all went blank.
************
I must been unconscious for five hour because when i woke up i found myself lying on the floor
of my living room. Few rays of sunlight were streaking into the room. I sat up and rubbed my
eyes, trying to recollect what the hell happened to have left me on the floor. I placed my hands in
my jeans pocket. My wallet with N35,000 was gone.
I got up and ran into the bedroom, heading to the wardrobe. It had been scavenged. I hastily
checked the inner pocket of the old suit where I had hidden N356,000 balance of my salary
arrears. The money was gone.
I ran out screaming. There were no traces of the two girls I had brought home from the club. My
eyes darted around the room; my 40 inches Lg plasma tv had been removed. I could see the
outline of the rectangular space it had occupied on the wall.
I fainted.
**********
Right now i am sipping garri with palm kernel and i don’t know how I am going to survive for the
next 30 days.
My dear young men, beware of Maitama babes!