Encomium
ARISTO, the practice of dating older men for money has taken over Nigerian campuses with female undergraduates throwing caution to the winds.
From the University of Lagos (where it allegedly thrives most) to the most remote campus in the creeks of the Niger Delta, young women are now willing to sleep with their fathers’ and even grandfathers’ age mates to enlarge their financial coast.
In this special report, ENCOMIUM Weekly unveils the offshoot of one of the oldest professions in the world (prostitution) revealing why it’s appealing to more and more young ladies.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Though it is difficult to pin down the exact year campus prostitution started, it has been widely acknowledged that its seeds commenced germination in the 90s. It was actually a fall-out of the dwindling morals and ethics of society coupled with the hard economic realities that affected many Nigerian families after the austerity era of the 80s. It was such a situation, and breakdown of values that encouraged students to resort to prostitution in the name of Aristo or school ‘runs.’
THEIR MODE OF OPERATION
According to one writer, the Aristo class of prostitutes are high-ranking in the commercial sex parlance and distinct from regular call girls who parade themselves on road sides in search of men seeking pleasure through extra marital affection. Unlike the common prostitute, the girls are usually pimped by agents who know where to locate them.
Sometimes, they make themselves available at their hostels, popular bars and restaurant on campus. Aristos can also hook up with young girls at nite clubs, themed parties, among other public places.
Interestingly, the more experienced school girls go all out for Aristos after initial exciting and financially rewarding experience.
THEIR LUXURY LIFESTYLE
There is always a price for every labour. Has anyone ever wondered where or how undergraduates get so much money to play around? How they support their families without a job? These girls disguise during the day by attending lectures of lecturers who they know they cannot buy their way to pass their course and they turn body hawkers at night in order to meet their basic needs.
For each night or weekend in the best hotels or guest houses, some come back to school with exotic car gifts, some with shoes, bags, trendy cloths and some smile home with N100,000 to N1million, depending on whom the sugar daddy was. Here you find young undergraduates occupying well furnished 3 bed room apartments off-campus with an automobile.
Their apartment are well furnished with refrigerators, a plasma television sets, home theatre musical equipment, air conditioning unit, a luxury bed, a wardrobe rich in the latest fashion trend and a standby generator and others. Dating an aristo is the latest barometer amongst campus girls for assessing wealth and position because they also believe the act is fashionable and the girls do it with relish and pride. For the girls, it is Thank God it’s Friday, as they pack their big handbags and move out of the hostels to spend weekends with their male friends who are old enough to be their father.
WHO ARE THE ARISTOS?
They are company executives, politicians, businessmen, bankers and many more. These are men who have so much money and investments that they do no know what to use their money rather, they prefer throwing it around on young girls, all in the name of they want to have a taste of fresh blood. By doing this, they have to tell a thousand lies to their wives and kids on how tedious the business meeting was or why they must attend each private political party meetings, so they can be in the arms of these young girls.
WHY MAKE ARISTO AN OPTION
These girls have either poor, middle class or moderately rich family backgrounds and they engage in what many regard as campus prostitution for various reasons ranging from pleasure to insatiate appetite for cash. Some even do so due to peer pressure or influence while others are involved as a means of paying their school fees. Others date them because they feel, they are more decent in the sense that they take girls to quiet places, they believe they are good in bed because they are more experienced or probably because they need money to survive. They are more comfortable with an aristo because he will certainly pay well.
THE PAINS AND GAINS OF ARISTOS
In the midst of all the fun, riches, not all that glitters is gold or even lasts forever, as some of these girls do not make it back to their campus. Some of these rich men are ritualists. In order to renew their riches, they have to make use of these young girls and they go into various campuses in pursuit of their prey. Some may end up being raped and return to their hostel without money while some are lucky and end up getting married to their aristos either as the second or third wife. And for the wise ones who are able to make a living from all these riches, end up having a business of their own before the end of their school year. Those in this category will end up with a boutique, a salon, fashion house or even a grocery store.
But the health implications of prostitution far outweigh its ‘gains.’ It might endanger the health of the ‘runs’ girls.
Also, their education suffer in the long run as they wouldn’t concentrate on their studies because of their treasure cum pleasure seeking unholy ventures.
UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS IS THE NEST OF ARISTOS
In all tertiary institutions, sex business among female students has become a norm.
However, the aristo practice is most common in the University of Lagos (UNILAG), where ladies strut their stuff without care to attract men. It is said that, the hostels are always deserted during the day and in the evenings and weekends, the female hostels begin to bubble as exotic cars bearing randy men scouting for girls stream in. In this institution, there are pimps who coordinate the sex trade at a fee and some girls allegedly end up in hostels around the university for those who want ‘short service’. In order to fit into the level of these girls, you must own a car and have loads of money to spend on them as well. Once you come out of your car and walk towards the girls, they know immediately what you are and therefore, give you the signs. As some of the girls have taken their trade to a higher level, they have moved to private hostels so their aristos can come visiting at odd hours.
DOLAPO AMODENI
