Posted by By Sunday Ojeme, Kemi Obasola and Abimbola Adelakun on
A new ‘business' appears to be taking roots among male students in many universities across the country. Investigations by our correspondents show that a number of male students have now joined their female counterparts to engage in prostitution to get more money. However, while many of the female undergraduates involved make their money from dating rich men, more male students appear to be getting involved in same-sex relationship.
A new ‘business' appears to be taking roots among male students in many universities across the country. Investigations by our correspondents show that a number of male students have now joined their female counterparts to engage in prostitution to get more money. However, while many of the female undergraduates involved make their money from dating rich men, more male students appear to be getting involved in same-sex relationship.
And unlike their female counterparts, the male undergraduates, it was gathered, make more money and get more patronage for obvious reasons. Societal values and legislations work against same-sex relationships. Hence, the number of men involved in sodomy is still low when compared with women engaged in the agelong profession of prostitution.
Investigatioms revealed that the young men make an average of N50,000 from one outing and may get more money when they travel out of their base to meet their partners who usually belong to the affluent group in the society.
Besides, the amount of money a gay male makes depends on whether he acts as the 'Top'' or 'bottom'' in the relationship.
A student in one of the universities in the South-East, who pleaded anomymity, told one of our correspondents that apart from servicing the rich outside the campus, the male undergraduates also encouraged fellow students to engage in the act. Thus, it becomes a case of someone experienced trying to recruit the innocent. 'Sometimes, a student can offer to pay as much as N20,000 to another student once he is desperate to have an affair,'' our source said.
On one occasion, he said, a male student once offerred to pay another student N20,000 for an homosexual round. 'The student that was offerred the money put his phone on speaker and we were all hearing as the other gay was desperately pleading to even pay in advance,'' he added.
In a chat with one of our correspondents who pretended to be a researcher last week, another student in one of the federal universities in the South-West, who confessed to be involved in the practice under condition of anonymity, said, 'Most of the successful men we see and hear of in Nigeria today are gays. The promiscuity rate is even higher than that of male and female sexual relationship. So, you tend to get more patronage as a gay prostitute. If you get a call now to meet so and so in Abuja or even Dubai on an all-expense-paid trip, won't you be tempted? Sometimes you get as much as N50,000 or N100,000 depending on how big the man is.'
According to him, there are caucuses of gays who meet regularly at parties, clubs and such other places. Such networking helps any gay male student who is interested in getting to meet clients.
Our correspondents learnt that a number of ‘gay friendly' clubs had sprang up in some parts of Ikeja and Victoria Island, Lagos State.
Analysing the activities of the group further, a 200-level student who claimed to be ‘gay and proud' said, 'It really helps to be ‘Top' in a gay relationship.' According to him, 'The ‘Top' is the male in the relationship. He is the ‘King' while the ‘Bottom' is the female or the ‘Queen.' The Tops are scarce, unlike ‘Bottoms' that are uncountable and less valued in the booming gay market. If you are a ‘Top', you get better patronage and you are more valued. That is where the big bucks come from. If you are a queen, chances are that you are looking for love, affection or something like that. You have to spend a lot of money to get a ‘Top' that wants you.'
While he agreed that some men are ‘wired' to act as gays, he also confessed that some do it for money and the connections they get to make for their future. For that category of people, he said it might just be a passing phase, something they are doing in school to make money.
'They are in it purely for the money and they usually go ‘top.' But he insisted that money was not the only reason why some men become gays. You go to exotic parties, catch a lot of fun and the life is dramatic,'' he said.
He said while on holidays in London, he discovered that it was even very profitable abroad.
'You can make as much as £100 per hour or even more. So, you get to travel abroad to do the runs,' he added.
However, while most gays claimed 'it is fun,'' some tend to be more careful in their choice of partners, because according to them, there is the HIV/AIDS scare which could be very dangerous since they get into a lot of frequent unprotected sex.
'Some of these guys are very promiscuous. The ‘Top' especially get more sexual requests than Bottoms and if one is not careful, one will get over-used. You can't take all the orders that will be advanced to you. I have been reckless before, but now I am very careful. One has to think of one's future especially someone like me that desires to get married and have children,' one of them said.
Despite the reported health implications of the act, financial inducement seems to be a strong factor for participation by those who engage in campus homosexuality. While some people confessed to have found themselves in it as a result of peer pressure, others simply believe that they have been wired naturally to dislike the opposite sex.
A lawyer, who confessed that he patronised male university students, and who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said he became a homosexual during his days as a boarding house pupil.
He said he was introduced into the act by a school mate. 'It was very rampant then and I found out that many of my mates were also involved. Though I got married after my university education, I still engage in it now because old habits die hard. I must tell you that it is a terrible habit though because I find it difficult to enjoy sex with my wife. These days, I find male partners among people of my calibre, especially some of my friends that were in the same secondary school with me.
'It is also easier to find willing partners in Abuja, anytime I go there for meetings, I find a new partner. We have different ways of knowing one another; anybody who is not involved in homosexuality can never find out. I hate embarrassment so I do not try to introduce fellow men to it; I only get involved with those that I know are already involved. I have made a lot of contacts through it and it has opened doors for me.'
He said he was aware that a lot of his partners who wanted fresh blood also recruit partners from universities across the country.
'Unlike those in the developed countries who say they are involved in it because they were created that way, many boys in our universities are being enticed with monetary gifts and those who are fortunate to meet wealthy partners have become ‘big boys' overnight. I pray that my son grows up as normal boys do and I will do all I can so that they do not toe this same line of homosexuality. It is not something that I am proud of no matter how nice some people make it seem,' he said.
Yet, unlike the female prostitutes, investigations revealed that the male students also employed the services of pimps to secure the services of wealthy men.
In addition, there are caucuses of gays who meet regularly at parties, clubs and through online social networks. Such networking helps any gay who is interested in getting to meet clients.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government, in 2006, proposed a bill that would make homosexuality an offence capable of attracting a minimum of five-year jail term for any offender.
Proposing the bill, a former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN), had said it would provide outright prohibition of two men entering into what they wrongly perceive as marriage or two women entering into what they wrongly perceive as marriage.
Commenting on the involvement of more male students in homosexuality, a public analyst, Mr. Sonnie Ekwowusi said, 'Gay liberalists in the world are fighting hard to change the natural way normal people look at things. They want marriage to be defined as a union of any two, not a union of a man and a woman. Whenever a gay marriage takes place anywhere gay people ensure that it is given wide publicity in the media.
'But banning of 'same-sex marriage' is not enough. The government must review the topics in our secondary school curricula. In many public secondary schools today, the authorities are teaching them immoral topics like homosexuality; giving and receiving pleasure, the use contraceptives; safe-sex with condom; masturbation, etc under the guise of Integrated Science.'