Naira Scarcity: Sex Workers Lament Low Patronage, Says Customers Pay With Fake Bank Alerts

 

In Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, some commercial sex workers have decried low patronage in their business due to the scarcity of naira notes.

 

 Those who spoke to journalists in Abuja on Sunday said the scarcity of the notes was a threat and had crippled their businesses.

They said that although the currency swap policy was commendable, the current mode of implementation was a challenge to their business.

Alexandra Tricia (pseudo name), a commercial sex worker, said her customers had reduced drastically due to the current ‘no cash syndrome.’

She described the development as both frustrating and slow for the business.

“Some of my customers will come, and after negotiations, they will ask if I have an account so they can transfer the money to me.

“When I give them the account number, they will press their phones and tell me that they have transferred some money.

“The worst part of it is that you will see their own alert in their phones, but most times you will not get your own alert,” she said.

According to her, some customers demand their service despite the fake alerts.

“Infact, there is one of my colleagues that a customer sent a transfer alert to, but up till now, the money is still pending but she has serviced the man,” she said.

Another sex worker, Ifedi Ote (pseudo name), a university dropout, said many of her colleagues in the business had left temporarily due to the current cash crunch.

She said the development had caused customers with little cash to pay “next to nothing” for their services.

“Clients who have cash will price you as low as N1,500 to N3,000.

“When you refuse, they will tell you that the amount is the only cash they have on them, and because I need cash, I will be forced to accept the price,” she said.

She, however, lauded the naira policy, saying it will curb crimes.

Another commercial sex worker, Tracy Ehigbere, appealed to the authorities concerned to urgently address issues around the currency swap policy.