The Ugly Turn of Events in Egbiraland

10th January 2025

Egbiraland, once a place known for its culture of beauty, pride, and traditional values, now stands at the crossroads of moral decay. What was once a flourishing society with its women revered for their striking black beauty has now descended into an abyss where vanity and desperation fuel dangerous, demeaning practices. From the rising trend of prostitution in local hotels to the scourge of skin bleaching, the fabric of the community is unraveling at an alarming rate.

It is in the heart of this transformation that the true horror of the situation is most evident. Hotels in Egbiraland, once peaceful havens for travelers, have become something else entirely — clandestine rallying points for a troubling new trend. Women, once symbols of respect and dignity, have become mere commodities, their worth now dictated by their ability to please and entertain men for monetary gain. Young, unmarried women, as well as married ones dissatisfied with their homes, are turning to these hotels in search of solace, but the price they pay is far greater than they could ever imagine.

Gone are the days when this practice was confined to the students of a specific higher institution in Okene. Today, it is no longer a secret society; it is open for all comers. The transformation from modesty to indulgence is startling, and the troubling reality is that these women do not operate in isolation. Hotel staff—room service attendants, security personnel—are complicit in this cycle of degradation, helping to facilitate these illicit rendezvous, ensuring that the transactions occur in secret, under the cover of darkness. It is a profitable trade. And though society often looks away in denial, these women, many of whom are single mothers or unemployed school leavers, see it as their only means of survival.

These women may hide behind the façade of economic struggle, but the truth is far more complex. While some claim to be motivated solely by poverty, others are driven by an insatiable thirst for something more — for power, for validation, for the fleeting luxury that comes from men’s attention. It is no secret that many of the men who partake in these activities are married, keeping their rendezvous secret from their wives. And so, a tragic pattern emerges: the men return to their homes, pretending nothing has transpired, while the women, young and old, feel their bodies commodified and used, as if they have no other purpose than to fulfill a need.

These acts are not without consequences. The risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) loom large, but even that does not deter them. In fact, the economic rewards and the lure of financial independence have blinded them to the danger. The more men they sleep with, the more their self-worth is defined by their sexual appeal. There is no greater tragedy than watching a woman’s body become a tool to stave off poverty, her identity lost in the haze of a night of passion with a man she will never see again.

Commercial motorcyclists, or Okada men as they are known, have become integral players in this web of exploitation. These men, who carry the women to and from their secret rendezvous, have developed a palpable disdain for the women they transport. This contempt, born of familiarity, feeds into a broader societal disrespect for the women of Egbiraland. The Okada men, once revered as hardworking individuals trying to make an honest living, now stand as the enforcers of an illicit trade that is slowly corroding the dignity of the land. They ferry the nocturnal “scarlet sisters,” the women who have forsaken pride and values for a shot at economic gain, without remorse. In their eyes, the women are no longer mothers, sisters, or daughters, but mere objects to be transported from one dark corner of society to another. They have lost all sense of their worth and are treated accordingly.

Equally disturbing is the second plague that afflicts the people of Egbiraland — the perverse obsession with skin bleaching. For generations, Ebira people were known for their striking black beauty, a gift passed down through the ages. Their deep, radiant complexions were a point of pride, admired by outsiders who marveled at their luminous skin. But today, this gift is slowly being eroded by an unrelenting desire to conform to an external ideal, one that is rooted in a distorted sense of beauty.

As bleaching creams flood the market and advertisements peddle their promises of fairer skin, men and women alike are succumbing to the pressure to alter their appearance. The results are often tragic. The once beautiful, shining black skin is replaced with a patchwork of unnatural hues — black-green, brown-black, pink-black, or something even more unrecognizable. What is most painful to witness is the transformation that occurs when the money runs out. For many of these individuals, the bleaching process is a means to an end — a way to remain appealing, glowing, and attractive to potential suitors or patrons. But when the money and the resources dry up, the consequences of the practice become glaringly apparent. The skin begins to crack, the blemishes emerge, and the once-proud beauty fades, leaving behind a mere shadow of what it once was.

The search for beauty, once natural and pure, has now become a dangerous pursuit that mirrors the desperation driving the women into prostitution. Some argue that the obsession with bleaching is the byproduct of a societal hunger for validation, a desperation to appear perfect and flawless no matter the cost. This has led to a disturbing trend, where women are willing to risk their health and their future in pursuit of a fleeting sense of attractiveness.

On a recent holiday drive from Ogaminana to Okene, I was shocked to see how pervasive the practice of bleaching had become. What was once a rarity, a secret, is now commonplace. It is a sad sight, one that speaks volumes about the loss of identity, of pride, of culture. The beautiful black women of Egbiraland are fading, and with them, the essence of a once-proud people.

Egbiraland is at a crossroads. The ugly turn of events has left our society fractured, our women diminished, and our land polluted with values that will take generations to undo. If nothing changes, the future of Egbiraland may be lost forever. The time has come for a collective effort to reclaim our pride, our dignity, and our culture. Let us stand together, before it is too late, and restore the beauty and honor that once defined us.

Yusuf Abubakar Onumoh, PhD, is a Public Affairs Commentator