The Nigerian Ambassador to Italy, His Excellency Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa submitted his letters of credence to the Italian President on the 21 of July 2008.There was thereafter, a reception organised for the Nigerian Community in his official residence in Rome.

In his speech that was frequently interrupted by applause from the Nigerians present, he told Nigerians amongst other things, to respect the laws of the host country pointing out that some of the vices Nigerians are known for in Italy are alien to our culture.He specifically mentioned human- trafficking, prostitution and drug trafficking.He said these vices have made it very difficult for Nigerians to secure visas to Europe even for genuine reasons.While stressing the stigma that is attached to prostitution, he spoke in the bini language to enable the binis there understand that fingers are usually pointed at them as far as prostitution was concerned in Italy.

The Nation Newspaper of 28/07/08 carried a short story from the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) where the Ambassador of Nigeria to Sweden with concurrent accreditation to Denmark, Norway and Finland, His Excellency, Dr. Godknows Igali, complained that Nigerian girls were moving from Italy to engage in prostitution in Sweden.

Nigerian prostitutes are present in almost every city of Western Europe. However, Italy was their first port of call and as far as an average Nigerian is concerned any Nigerian girl in Italy is a prostitute.Iam therefore daring to reason from my personal experience if these girls were driven into this ugly trade for economic reasons or by greed.

My knowledge of when the first sex-  traders from Nigeria came to Italy is sketchy. It is said however, that some women mostly from Lagos who were coming to Rome in the early 80s to buy shoes and bags for sale were equally soliciting for men in some Roman bars to enable them have more money to shop more than they had originally planned for before they left Nigeria.

The ladies from Benin City most of them single mothers, widows and some divorcees were said to have arrived in the mid-80s.From then till date any Nigerian girl seen by an Italian is considered a sex worker.Benin City as far as an Italian police officer is concerned is a city of prostitutes.Today however, there is no single tribe of Nigeria that is not engaged in this trade.What is obvious is that those girls from Edo State are more in number.

In the late 90s, a neighbour approached me in Benin City to buy his goat to enable him raise some money.This neighbour in his late 50s was a tipper-driver. He had a piggery and many goats.When I asked him what the matter was, he told me he was trying to raise the sum of forty thousand naira (N40,000) as deposit for the woman taking his daughter abroad. The woman he said, was the person then developing the parcel of land opposite his compound.I knew this neighbour had just two daughters and a son who were all teenagers. The daughter he was sending  abroad was just promoted to JSS3 the previous June. All efforts to dissuade him proved abortive. I did not buy the goat but the girl left all the same.

 In one of my recent visits to Benin City, I went to one of the popular amala joints with some friends. As we were eating, a lady came in with two young boys. One I later got to know was her son while the other was her driver. She was greeted by a waitress who gave her a special table. The waitress who already knew what she eats served her and the two boys. She paid for all subsequent customers who called her mummy as soon as they came in.I over heard her telling her son that her daughter in Turin-Italy who had promised to give her a secret number from Western Union Money Transfer had not done so. She paid ten thousand naira (N10,000) for every thing she ordered. I got to know that she was a very rich woman even before her two young daughters travelled to Italy.What then would have been responsible for her two daughters to go to Italy for prostitution? Greed obviously.

 In 1998, an Italian serial-killer shot and killed a young Bini girl after sleeping with her in his car.The dead girl’s younger sister had arrived Italy  about six months before her elder sister met her tragic and untimely death.Two years later,even though some Nigerians in the city the dead girl resided had not stopped mourning her, the mother of the assassinated girl sent another of her younger daughter to Italy.The young girl, I would say, is luckier than her two sisters because she was deported by the Italian authority before she was taught what to do.

 A woman in her late 40s brought her daughter to Italy some years ago.The young girl in her first outing for the deadly trade, met an Italian who took instant liking of her and told her to quit the job.She told her mother when she got home.The mother told her to tell the man the next day that she would need to pay-off her sponsor before she could get her freedom.The Italian pay all the money the young girl requested for.Not satisfied, the mother was still sending her to the road at night for the same trade.The Italian warned the girl that she could pay with her life if she was found prostituting after all he paid.The young girl passed the deadly message to the mother but she dismissed it as a windy threat.Two days later the girl was back to the road.The Italian was in hidding near the place the girl stood frequently with his hunting-gun.On sighting the girl who was unfortunately standing by another young girl, took an aim and fired his gun.The innocent girl died instantly from strayed pellets but the girl concerned was seriously injured.The mother is doing time in one of the Italian jails.Greed!!!!.

 In the July-August edition of a monthly Newspaper (News Africa) published by Western Union Money Tranfer in Rome, one Ms. Isoke Aikpitanyi (founder and spokesperson of the Association of Benin City Girls - an NGO fighting against human-trafficking and prostitution) granted an interview tho the editor of the Newspaper where she described the Nigerian girls engaged in prostitution as slaves and not prostitutes.While I may agree with her, taking into consideration that the sponsors of these girls claim between €50,000 to €90,000 from them as settlement fee,that the parents of these girls sent them to the sponsors, entered into written agreement and most times with oaths taken before  witch-doctors that their daughters will pay the stipulated amount, makes this assertion less reliable.There are however cases where the girls were misled to believe that they were coming to work in farms in Italy.This happened in the early days.

 The Italian laws are very severe on sponsors of prostitutes.Some years ago in Rome, a Nigerian female sponsor was able to produce a written agreement and infact the house- plan of the father of the girl she brought to Italy for prostitution as a proof that the girl was not misled into prostitution. She was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the parents of the girl used their house in Benin City as a collateral in case their daughter was unable to pay her. She was discharged and acquitted by the court.Many sponsors who are doing time in Italian jails were not so lucky though the young girls they brought, came to Italy with the full knowledge of their parents.

 The average Nigerian is a pseudo-aristocrat. If three Africans stand together, the Nigerian among them could easily be identified.We are flamboyant both in cars and dressings.There is little wonder corruption is every where in the country.Many marriages in Benin City have hit the rocks.Once a daughter is in Italy and Dollars then and Euros now start flowing, the mother would look for an excuse to leave the matrimonial home so that the proceeds of prostitution will be hers alone.

 The statistics fom Nigerian Universities especially the University of Benin has shown  a steady decline in the admission of female Bini-indigines since the mid 80s because what is in vogue is Italy and prostitution.The person known world-wide though biblical, that gave his life to save man- kind, is Jesus Christ.That a child of less than fourteen years could be sent abroad by the parents to become the source of income for the family is not only ungodly but criminal.Parents are enjoined by all natural laws to take care of their children while the children will do same when the parents become old.

The Nigerian Ambassador to Italy, His Excellency Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa is the heir apparent to the Benin Monarchy.The promises he made as far as improvement of services in the mission is concerned have been translated into action within few days to the acknowledgement of Nigerians in Italy.The fight against prostitution may not be an easy one, but a man of his standing will surely win the fight.From the city I write, within a year, we have lost two Nigerian girls to diseases related to sex while in the last ten days two, who left their homes to stand on the street to solicit for men are yet to return home.They are neither in prison nor hospital.The statistics of Nigerian girls maimed or murdered by criminals at night in Italy is very alarming.

The Binis as  far as I know, have no name for prostitutes.The names prostitutes are called in Bini language reflect the area of Nigeria they come from. The trade is both alien and  taboo to the culture of the Binis. It is for this reason I implore the Ambassador to use his official status and his position in the ancient City of Benin to dissuade parents from sending their children into prostitution. Besides the stigma attached to the trade, most ladies who stopped the trade are usually unfaithful wives when they get married. Having been used to sleeping with more than twenty men a night, their legal husbands usually do not sexually satisfy them, 90% of Nigerian ladies with children in Italy are single mothers. We can work together to retstore the lost dignity not only of the Binis but of Nigerians at large.

Robot  # 1 | 05.08.2008 22:21

...Read the full article.

emenanjo  # 2 | 06.08.2008 11:01

My brother, thank you for calling a spade a spade. After reading this article, my thought as a sociologist, is: what should be the solution? It is sad what has really become of our country and our political leaders and us- their subjects. Nigeria is a growing cancer. State governors, just go to Abuja, collect allocations and share among themselves. There are no people-oriented policies on the ground.Nothing at all! I am happy that the heir-apparent to the Benin throne has been appointed the Ambassador to Italy and I hope he would be able to put a check to this traffic. However, I will like to proffer the following: First: The Italian Embassy is making money too, out of Nigerians by issueing those visas to mostly young girls. I am sure there is a clique in that embassy benefiting from such and that clique needs to be checked. The new Ambassador should make sure that visa issuance meet stricter conditions, expecially for the ladies. Second: The throne of the Oba of Benin and his chiefs-in-council, should help too in this aspect. They should embark on a series of non-stop public enlightenment campaign by sounding it in the ears of the people on the dangers of such trips. The cases of those killed should be highlighted to create a real effect. Third: The State governments should join in this campaign. It is their inability to perform that triggered most of these exodus. The governments should create jobs and embark on people's-oriented programmes. Unfortunately, most of these governors have performed below par. NGOs can also come in handy to help create awareness. Fourth: Our family values are speedily breaking down. Aging parents, in a country without social security, are counting on their children and grand children to take care of them till death. There is pressure impinging on the younger generation thus the erosion of our much cherished family values. The rate of development in the advanced countries and their media assaults on our collective sensitivity also act as catalyst to these movements. There is a need to also use the same forum in Nigeria to let the vunerable little girls know, that the promise they are taking under oath, is not worth it. Finally, some of us when we travel home can organise family, friends, extended family and village enlightenment campaigns. Tell one family or educate one family about the vagaries of such trips, they will in turn tell others. Sometimes, person-to-person communication works more wonders than the newspapers. I had a practical experience and I use it ones in while when I travel home and that is the effective use of the town crier. In all, we all have a stake in this. It is really a shame. I hope "Dewsdrop" will read this and proffer solutions.

RAYNOSA  # 3 | 06.08.2008 11:50

Re: Nigerian Prostitutes In Europe: Driven By Greed Or Economic Reasons. I will say majority are driven by Greed.Going by the high numbers of these young girls who come from Edo state..............At least Edo state is not the Only state in Nigeria that is economically deprived. If it was for Economic reasons then the Igbos,Hausas and Yoruba would have shadowed the Bini girls since they are more in population.

Shoko Loko Bangoshe  # 4 | 06.08.2008 15:03

Raynosa, I think it's a bit more complex than that. I think that what usually happens with various ethnic groups is that when someone in a group gets involved in an activity, if he does well, he is likely to inform people who he knows well about his success, how he achieved it, and what tips they to can use to achieve it. Now realistically, it is people from his ethnic group who he will know better than anyone else. So they begin to take part in the activity, and when they do well, they inform people that they know well - who will also happen to be in their ethnic group. The process continues until the ethnic group develops a specialty in that area simply out of the dominance of numbers (which will make other groups uncomfortable taking part in the activity) or because there is much more knowledge and experience of the activity circulating within that group. So it is with the issue of the dominance of Edo girls in prostitution. It is not a case of Edo girls necessarily being 'looser' or 'greedier' than other girls; it is more a case of the process I have described above becoming so far advanced that tolerance for such activity has been lowered within Edo society.

blooming_i  # 5 | 06.08.2008 15:21

=Shoko Loko Bangoshe;4295080110> I think that what usually happens with various ethnic groups is that when someone in a group gets involved in an activity, if he does well, he is likely to inform people who he knows well about his success, how he achieved it, and what tips they to can use to achieve it. Now realistically, it is people from his ethnic group who he will know better than anyone else. So they begin to take part in the activity, and when they do well, they inform people that they know well - who will also happen to be in their ethnic group. The process continues until the ethnic group develops a specialty in that area simply out of the dominance of numbers (which will make other groups uncomfortable taking part in the activity) or because there is much more knowledge and experience of the activity circulating within that group. Your description fits word-of-mouth business ventures, only the MLM aspect missing.:smile:

bobokite  # 6 | 06.08.2008 15:50

=emenanjo;4295080005>My brother, thank you for calling a spade a spade. After reading this article, my thought as a sociologist, is: what should be the solution? It is sad what has really become of our country and our political leaders and us- their subjects. Nigeria is a growing cancer. State governors, just go to Abuja, collect allocations and share among themselves. There are no people-oriented policies on the ground.Nothing at all! I am happy that the heir-apparent to the Benin throne has been appointed the Ambassador to Italy and I hope he would be able to put a check to this traffic. However, I will like to proffer the following: First: The Italian Embassy is making money too, out of Nigerians by issueing those visas to mostly young girls. I am sure there is a clique in that embassy benefiting from such and that clique needs to be checked. The new Ambassador should make sure that visa issuance meet stricter conditions, expecially for the ladies. Second: The throne of the Oba of Benin and his chiefs-in-council, should help too in this aspect. They should embark on a series of non-stop public enlightenment campaign by sounding it in the ears of the people on the dangers of such trips. The cases of those killed should be highlighted to create a real effect. Third: The State governments should join in this campaign. It is their inability to perform that triggered most of these exodus. The governments should create jobs and embark on people's-oriented programmes. Unfortunately, most of these governors have performed below par. NGOs can also come in handy to help create awareness. Fourth: Our family values are speedily breaking down. Aging parents, in a country without social security, are counting on their children and grand children to take care of them till death. There is pressure impinging on the younger generation thus the erosion of our much cherished family values. The rate of development in the advanced countries and their media assaults on our collective sensitivity also act as catalyst to these movements. There is a need to also use the same forum in Nigeria to let the vunerable little girls know, that the promise they are taking under oath, is not worth it. Finally, some of us when we travel home can organise family, friends, extended family and village enlightenment campaigns. Tell one family or educate one family about the vagaries of such trips, they will in turn tell others. Sometimes, person-to-person communication works more wonders than the newspapers. I had a practical experience and I use it ones in while when I travel home and that is the effective use of the town crier. In all, we all have a stake in this. It is really a shame. I hope "Dewsdrop" will read this and proffer solutions. Your suggestions on ways to check mate this trend are OK but one thing you did not get right is about the role of the Italian Embassy in Nigeria, The Italian Embassy is really trying very well now. 2/3rd of young Nigerian girls going to Italy these days don’t travel through Nigeria again because of the strict conditions of the embassy. Their Madam now take them through the Franco-phone countries of west Africa by road and they now get their Visas from there and some even go through Niger and Chad… So I think even the customs at the border posts should get involved actively because most of the girls travelling to Ghana, Togo, and Abidjan are all heading to Italy.

eleniyan  # 7 | 06.08.2008 16:46

I do not know why I could not get pass the "His Excellency" prefix anytime the ambassador's name is mentioned. Nigeria sha...even a paper pushing position is adorned with title. Empty barrels make the loudest noise! Precise article though...thanks!

Shoko Loko Bangoshe  # 8 | 06.08.2008 17:17

By the author: ...most ladies who stopped the trade are usually unfaithful wives when they get married. Having been used to sleeping with more than twenty men a night, their legal husbands usually do not sexually satisfy them, 90% of Nigerian ladies with children in Italy are single mothers. Is this right? I would have thought that a life of forced prostitution would make a woman less - not more - interested in sex.

AISAGBON OMOGIADE  # 9 | 06.08.2008 17:52

=eleniyan;4295080161>I do not know why I could not get pass the "His Excellency" prefix anytime the ambassador's name is mentioned. Nigeria sha...even a paper pushing position is adorned with title. Empty barrels make the loudest noise! Precise article though...thanks! Thanks for your observation.But protocol demands that an ambassador as a representative of his/her government,should be officially refered to as His/Her Excellency.When being addressed personally, Mr/madam ambassador could be used. _________________________ _________________________ =Shoko Loko Bangoshe;4295080178>By the author: Is this right? I would have thought that a life of forced prostitution would make a woman less - not more - interested in sex. Forced prostitution?Those who give their sponsors out are those who thought the trade was easy before they got to Italy but later discovered the danger in it.In most cases, they are unable to pay their sponsors and knowing they could secure a residence permit if they give their sponsors out, they dont hesitate. In fact, there are sets of young boys these ladies refer to as"centro".They take sex-ehancing drugs and move from city to city.These girls pay them according to their perfomance.Without actually being pimps, they live solely on this.The story is a sad one.It is a different world altogether.

ikuchi munta wei  # 10 | 06.08.2008 19:02

This is quite interesting and educating. NAPTIP should intensify their efforts as well as the immigration service to curb our porous borders. "In fact, there are sets of young boys these ladies refer to as"centro".They take sex-ehancing drugs and move from city to city.These girls pay them according to their perfomance.Without actually being pimps, they live solely on this." This is frightening!!!!!

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