Beneath the glaring sun and daily noise of Lagos’ Ajah community, the streets of Ajiwe wear a casual look of suburban hustle. Residential estates stretch in neat rows along the road; corner stores stay busy with transactions, and schoolchildren skip stones beside the ever-crowded “God is Good” motor park.
To the unsuspecting eye, this is a typical Lagos suburb. But those who pay closer attention might spot a dusty, unimpressive three-story building beside the park — the Travellers Lodge. Beige in colour, with an air of neglect, it appears like any other budget motel offering affordable rest and a chilled beer. Football plays on the bar’s television by day, and residents can be found chatting over packs of instant noodles.
As darkness creeps in, however, the lodge shifts form. Afrobeat rhythms rise from the speakers, echoing across the veranda where young women — some still in their teens — lean against rusty rails, their bodies swaying suggestively. Short skirts, sequins, and seductive laughter cloak a painful truth. This is no ordinary motel. It’s a sanctuary for sex trade, open in practice but hidden in plain sight.
This reality came to light through the testimonies of Berenice*, a long-time cleaner at the motel. Her sweeping brush and mop gave her access to spaces most dared not look. She told stories of girls lured into the lodge, some barely out of secondary school, often trapped in abusive arrangements. Through Berenice, an investigation was born.
A reporter and colleague, Kabir, went undercover — posing as a sex worker and a customer — to uncover the operations behind Travellers Lodge. What emerged was a world teetering between survival and exploitation.
Kabir’s encounters began at the bar, where three women — Sweet*, Rose*, and Faith* — approached him for business. Their stories reveal a spectrum of desperation, trauma, and calculated survival.
Sweet, a young woman from Rivers State, came to Lagos for a better life but was sexually abused by a relative. Homeless and alone, she turned to sex work as a means of earning quickly. “It’s just the hustle,” she said, describing nights where she made up to N50,000 — on good days. Rent at the lodge was fixed: N6,000 per night. If you couldn’t pay, the rooms — and the lifestyle — were no longer yours.
Not every woman at Travellers Lodge came from hardship. Faith, another worker, hails from a privileged background — her sisters study abroad, her mother is a known Nollywood actress. Yet, the appeal of fast money led her to lead a double life. “My family thinks I work in an office,” she admitted, eyes flicking away.
Rose, who lost her shop in a fire, said the lodge offered a temporary refuge — and income — until she could find her feet again. By day, she doubled as a caterer in the motel, and by night, worked the veranda.
Their experiences echo a larger crisis. The World Health Organisation reports that nearly one-third of women globally have experienced physical or sexual abuse. The National Bureau of Statistics in Nigeria confirmed a spike in sexual violence in 2022 alone.
Yet what makes the operations at Travellers Lodge particularly disturbing is the protection it enjoys.
Only a short walk — just under 300 meters — separates the lodge from Ajiwe Police Station. That distance means little. Both sex workers and dealers at the lodge claim that police officers are not just complicit but regular patrons. According to “Expensive Doggie,” a cornrow-wearing figure who manages lodge admissions, “The DCO is our guy.” Kabir’s experience confirmed the openness of drug transactions as well. Cannabis, codeine, methamphetamine — all reportedly sold in full view, right by the entrance.
At the center of it all stands Oracle, the elusive manager. After several attempts, our reporter met him inside a worn-down office space. Oracle did not flinch when told the inquirer was 16 years old. Instead, he offered approval based on physical appearance. “You look mature enough,” he said. The implication was chilling: age was no barrier, just a well-developed body.
The lodge's origins remain murky. Some say it was built by drug dealers in 2018. Others claim it was once meant to be a low-cost motel, before being sold to Oracle who turned it into a full-fledged brothel. Berenice described a constant stream of women — university girls needing money before returning to campus, runaways, even wives from nearby estates seeking side income.
Despite multiple attempts to obtain an official response, the lodge declined to engage. Staff refused to connect our team with Oracle again, and the establishment has no registered contact number. Ajiwe’s Divisional Crimes Officer, Femi Akinpeloye, denied knowledge of collusion and claimed that police had raided the lodge “several times.” No evidence of such raids was provided.
Legally, Nigeria remains ambivalent about sex work. The criminal code does not directly outlaw prostitution, but procurement, solicitation, and underage sex work are illegal. Individuals caught procuring girls under 18 face up to two years in prison. Trafficking laws impose up to ten years for exploiting minors.
Still, enforcement remains weak, and impunity thrives in places like Travellers Lodge. So does silence.
Psychologist Anthonia Abu believes the answer lies in tackling the root causes — poverty, abuse, and lack of education. “You can’t shame or force someone out of sex work,” she explained. “You have to help them make the choice to leave.” She sees these women not as criminals, but survivors awaiting a second chance.
“The stigma is what keeps them trapped,” she said. “Support — not condemnation — is how we help them rise.”
The story of Travellers Lodge is not just one of vice. It is a story of systemic failure — where institutions meant to protect the vulnerable instead enable their exploitation. Until real change comes, the music will continue to blare from the veranda, the girls will keep dancing, and Lagos will keep moving — blind to a crisis in its very heart.
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