I have used my 'corner eye' to count the monies on some of these girls in the past and it was mostly in the range of 10k to 20k. They always return hungry and sometimes look for a fast food restaurant or any canteen that is open to get food on their way home.
Sometimes i get lucky and they offer to buy breakfast for me too.
Early one morning, I got a call from one of my female clients, Toyin, who lived with 2 of her friends in a rented apartment in one of the suburbs. She needed me to take them home from the previous night's outing. They often went out together and hung around different clubs as they went about their businesses. I got to the location promptly and picked her and her friends up.
As we approached where they lived, we were stopped at a police checkpoint. Luckily, it was a point where I knew the leader of the team; someone I had known for a few years before he was transferred to that area. Whenever he saw me, he told his boys to let me go. We even have the same name.
At the checkpoint, his boys realizing I was the one and told me to proceed but the team leader instructed them to hold me down instead and search my vehicle and the girls. Instantly, I knew something was wrong but I couldn't fathom what it was at that moment. Toyin commented that she thought the boss was my friend but I told her I was also as surprised as she was.
He asked everyone to come down and the car was searched thoroughly including the trunk. The next thing the policemen did was to search these girls one by one and emptied their bags too. One of the junior officers who seemed drunk while searching one of the girls stylishly fondled her breasts in the guise of looking for exhibits.
I was shocked beyond words. I went to the team leader and protested but he told me to stay away from him and allow him do his job; that if I wasn't careful, he would deal with me. Finally, he checked my vehicle papers and let us go.
We got to the girls' residence and I apologized to them about the incident and the embarrassment it caused. They arranged their things and put them back in their bags while one of them suggested that they should recount their monies. To our chagrin, we found out that 6 thousand naira was missing.
The girls said they would go back to the checkpoint to cause trouble but I was able to convince them that it wasn't a good idea knowing how terrible our police force is and how they could easily turn things around. I told them I'll handle things my own way and gave them assurances that such would never repeat itself.
I promised them that their next ride would be free so as to compensate for the loss they encountered in the hands of the policemen.
I drove back to the Police checkpoint and confronted the leader and asked him why we had been searched and so embarrassed He told me the most shocking thing.
He said whenever I passed, I only greeted him and I took advantage of the fact that I knew him. He told me in Pidgin English.... 'Na greeting I go chop?'. He said he didn't need my greeting that he and his boys needed money too. He also said that if I knew what was good for me, I must always drop money for them whenever I passed.
He told me also that he saw the girls counting money at the back of the car and also knew that I made a lot of money because he always saw me carry different girls and he was sure that they paid me handsomely. He accused me of being selfish and inconsiderate and made money for myself alone.
I was lost for words. A lot of things went through my mind. What if these guys set me up or plant something in my car? I didn't want any hindrances to my work so brought out a 1000 naira note, gave it to him and left.
Early one morning, I got a call from one of my female clients, Toyin, who lived with 2 of her friends in a rented apartment in one of the suburbs. She needed me to take them home from the previous night's outing. They often went out together and hung around different clubs as they went about their businesses. I got to the location promptly and picked her and her friends up.
As we approached where they lived, we were stopped at a police checkpoint. Luckily, it was a point where I knew the leader of the team; someone I had known for a few years before he was transferred to that area. Whenever he saw me, he told his boys to let me go. We even have the same name.
At the checkpoint, his boys realizing I was the one and told me to proceed but the team leader instructed them to hold me down instead and search my vehicle and the girls. Instantly, I knew something was wrong but I couldn't fathom what it was at that moment. Toyin commented that she thought the boss was my friend but I told her I was also as surprised as she was.
He asked everyone to come down and the car was searched thoroughly including the trunk. The next thing the policemen did was to search these girls one by one and emptied their bags too. One of the junior officers who seemed drunk while searching one of the girls stylishly fondled her breasts in the guise of looking for exhibits.
I was shocked beyond words. I went to the team leader and protested but he told me to stay away from him and allow him do his job; that if I wasn't careful, he would deal with me. Finally, he checked my vehicle papers and let us go.
We got to the girls' residence and I apologized to them about the incident and the embarrassment it caused. They arranged their things and put them back in their bags while one of them suggested that they should recount their monies. To our chagrin, we found out that 6 thousand naira was missing.
The girls said they would go back to the checkpoint to cause trouble but I was able to convince them that it wasn't a good idea knowing how terrible our police force is and how they could easily turn things around. I told them I'll handle things my own way and gave them assurances that such would never repeat itself.
I promised them that their next ride would be free so as to compensate for the loss they encountered in the hands of the policemen.
I drove back to the Police checkpoint and confronted the leader and asked him why we had been searched and so embarrassed He told me the most shocking thing.
He said whenever I passed, I only greeted him and I took advantage of the fact that I knew him. He told me in Pidgin English.... 'Na greeting I go chop?'. He said he didn't need my greeting that he and his boys needed money too. He also said that if I knew what was good for me, I must always drop money for them whenever I passed.
He told me also that he saw the girls counting money at the back of the car and also knew that I made a lot of money because he always saw me carry different girls and he was sure that they paid me handsomely. He accused me of being selfish and inconsiderate and made money for myself alone.
I was lost for words. A lot of things went through my mind. What if these guys set me up or plant something in my car? I didn't want any hindrances to my work so brought out a 1000 naira note, gave it to him and left.
I had learnt something new. Indeed, the police is your friend only when you give them money.
Later on, Toyin also took advantage of that promise I made by making me drive her and her friends around all night to different locations the next time I took them out. I had to drop them back at home in the morning too.
Later on, Toyin also took advantage of that promise I made by making me drive her and her friends around all night to different locations the next time I took them out. I had to drop them back at home in the morning too.
My promise cost me a lot of time and money but what mattered most at that point was maintaining my clientele.
Ashawo na work and Oko Ashawo must chop!!
Lol... Man must survive... Police people sha... SMH.
ReplyDelete#BaeisBeulah.
Chai.... Ashawo na the oldest work. Oko Ashawo na newer profession. E just be like bread and ewa agonyi. They go hand in hand.
ReplyDeleteChai..... I had a good laugh reading this. Quite entertaining. Or policemen Sha. Na wah
Oko ashawo, you're supposed to have tipped those policemen, you should have known that "police is your friend only when you drop something ".
DeleteNext time don't make that kind of promise o.
hahahaha na greeting i go chop? Nigerian police cannot come and die. So in a bid to make a complaint you ended up adding 1k
ReplyDeleteOko Ashawo, your sef, you stingy. Why you no dey Roger the policemen? 😝
ReplyDeleteBaba some days are like that. No be everyday wey person go business e dey make am, kpele. Kikikiki
ReplyDeleteWhy would someone bring out money and count in the car? Na wah for these girls. Can't they wait till they get home? Better still, why didn't they count the money in the hotel or wherever they were coming from?
ReplyDeleteOh yea. You dropping means dodging their bullets.
ReplyDeleteBad guys that drop for them pass un checked with contrabands and exibits, even with human parts.
Nigeria Police has the highest entitlement mentality.
I always look forward to this uber drivers tales.
ReplyDeleteMe too but it looks like he has toned down all those sexy stuff he used to write about at the beginning. Anyhow, it's still a good read
DeleteAshawo na work oooo
ReplyDeleteShortime 50k
Sleepover hundred k
That’s how I told
Please, tell us more of what you were told🤔
DeleteThat's how 'you told' or that's how you roll,which one? Type the ingrish well for better comprehension.
DeleteThese girls make money o. Imagine getting like 15k daily for 5 days in a week, that's like 300k in one month.
ReplyDeleteThe irony of it all is that you don't see the money on them and they can't account for how they spent all the money that are making
They spend it on hair and designer stuff.
DeleteSome invest tho.
And that's the same way the money vanishes,
DeleteThey don't make anything useful out of it only a few.
So you be "Oko ashawo" true true.
ReplyDeleteBut what is Oko?
Oko is prick
DeleteOko means husband while Ashawo means prostitute. Put together, Oko Ashawo means husband of prostitute, a term used to describe taxi drivers because most of their night customers are prostitutes
DeleteIts yoruba lang.
DeleteIn this case oko means husband. It also means dick.....depends on how it's pronounced.
Oko ashawo I like reading your column. Continue writing pls don't stop.
ReplyDeleteOK oo
ReplyDeletePolice no send you o. You go weak the day dem go change am for you. Na only money they understand. I wonder if they were trained that way
ReplyDeleteHmmm Oko Ashewo be careful oooo
ReplyDelete