*As Lagos clamps down on strip clubs
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The action was long awaited. So, when 33 strip dancers were arrested at the weekend in Lagos, the move was applauded in many quarters.
Those arrested are soon to face prosecution for immoral behaviour as the case has been transferred to the state Ministry of Justice for appropriate action.
The arrested strippers
The action is coming months after a special security outfit of the Lagos State Police Command embarked on massive arrest of indecently dressed females on the allegation that they were promoting obscenity in the society. But due to serious criticism from different quarters, the Police discontinued the arrest.
In the wake of the public outcry and furore the action generated, the state government had come out publicly to denounce any involvement, saying there was no such directive from it.
But in what seemed to be a renewed onslaught against growing immoral and indecent behaviour in the state, the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Monitoring Unit led by its Chairman, Mr. Bayo Sulaimon last Saturday stormed about four strip clubs within Ikeja and environs and arrested 33 naked dancers and two of the clubs’ managers.
More strippers and patrons
According Sulaimon, all the 33 arrested nudists and the managers have been released on bail and would be called upon subsequently by the state Ministry of Justice when the need arises.
The names of the affected nude clubs were given as Club Unique, Wallstreet, Cazzbah and Magic City formerly known as Ocean Blue. Club Unique is on Ogundana Street off Allen Avenue while Wallstreet is located at 70B Allen Avenue. Magic City, formerly called Ocean Blue, is located adjacent to Sweet Sensation Eatery Bus-Stop and Cazzbah opposite Opebi Bus-Stop.
Sequel to the raid, officials of a surveillance and monitoring team were said to have visited the clubs disguised as patrons. They monitored the clubs’ activities for a night before raiding them in the early hours of the following day.
Sulaiman, in a telephone chat on Monday confirmed that the state government shut the clubs as a result of public outcry over their existence. He added that most of the clubs had become hideouts for criminals and undesirable elements, stressing that the strip clubs were not registered and were not regulated by the state government.
One of the sealed clubs
Sulaimon disclosed that the recent action became necessary immediately a report of the activities of the nude clubs was published. The Archbishop of the Lagos Diocese, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, particularly condemned their existence, saying that evil has completely taken over Lagos and called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to act immediately in order to arrest the trend by shutting them down.
“Evil has taken over in Lagos State. The way things are going, when girls of between the ages of 15 and 25 dance nude and throw caution to the wind with boys and men watching them, then they are sending a wrong signal to the society. It portends danger.
We are sitting on a loaded gun,” said Okogie, in a statement signed by the Director of Social Communications, Lagos, Reverend Gabriel Osu.
Okogie called on Gov. Fashola to act now because the strip clubs keep increasing in number, while those shut earlier had re-opened under new names. “I hope this is not making mockery of Lagos as a mega-city, Centre of Excellence and City of Aquatic Splendour ,” he said.
While a few Lagosians called on government not to shut the strip clubs but simply regulate them as adult fun exists in all mega cities, most people, however, kicked against their existence and simply called on Gov. Fashola to close them down forthwith.
Vanguard Metro learnt that the arrest of strip dancers was dramatic as they did not expect the taskforce to visit them in the night. A 24-year Ghanaian lady,Traore Anida, who was among the strippers arrested, said she started the job a month ago because she was desperately in need of money to go back to her country.
She said that she was brought to Nigeria by a woman whom she said is based in the Republic of Benin . “I need money to go back to my country and there is no other work I can do to get the money fast. That is why I joined the job,” Anida informed.
Emma Ofor, manager of Club Unique who was arrested along with the 33 strippers, said that he joined the club in January this year, adding that poverty made him to accept the offer. Offor said that he could not reject the offer as he was in desperate need of a job. “That is the circumstance I found myself and it is because of my situation. I was desperately in need of job when the offer came and I just had to accept it,” he said.
Goddy Benjamin, manager of Wall Street Club who was also arrested along with the strippers denied that ladies go naked in the clubs to entertain patrons.
But in earlier visits by Vanguard Metro to some of the club houses, young girls were seen dancing stark naked to entertain guests at Wallstreet. Sometimes the club patrons go as far as stuffing naira notes into the private part of the dancers who sometimes wear G-string.
Benjamin stated that the activities at the club are regulated and that the club obtained a license from the local government for its operation. “Ladies in my club do not go naked. They do not dance naked. They always cover their body, they are just like other models and nobody harasses them. My ladies do not dance naked,” Benjamin restated.
What is wrong in dancing nude? Afterwards the government cannot provide employment. Some of the dancers are certificate holders. What they are doing is trying to be self employed.
How did the our young ladies get to that stage, How about the politicians that pushed them into this life style. this nude dancers would get into heaven before the Born again millionare pastor, The Devilish politicians gathered in Abuja, the Currupt Policemen arresting them, Can we all see that this is what Jesus meant when he said ” I dare an of you to cast the first Stone” , wh hope you would arest those visiting Bode Lagos Boy George in Kirikri as well, this girls have done nothing compared with the Nigerian ruling class, infact they are victims asked to lower them selfs to survive, would any of them have done this in the 60s or 70s
they are… only trying to divert our attension, from the real crime being perpertrated in this country,they left wht should be tackled(corruption,kidnapping,robbery,etc)and are going after ever world ancient trade that has being existing even b4 their great fore fathers were born.why cant they rehabilitate them?thesame way being done to d niger deltas.afterall they force them into it.if they have available d masses funds they siphond into thier account,create employmnt,provide electricity,empower d mases,the rate wldnt be much.so let them think twice
@AGUNBIADE PIUS, you don’t need to display your insanity for the world to see. Sorry, you are a disgrace to Yoruba people who you pretend to be defending. They should not allow you to expose them to such sordidity. Your awful English alone betrays you as a sub-primate. Where do you get the crazy idea that the Yoruba is the only pure, stainless tribe on earth? Everybody else in Italy, Germany, Ghana, Abia State, etc. is immoral and should not approach Lagos. Maybe you have become so insane as to run naked on the street.
What is so annoying is to see dimwits like Rev Hypocrite Aderemi from in South Africa and ClasaicalMan supporting you.
We forget that many traditional dance in Nigeria before now had young women dancing nude in public at festivals. If we want to build a Mega City, then let Lagos grow as one.
with the kind of things going on at this country.is only God will saved ones head
When leaders don’t have anything to offer the society, they waste everyone’s time with fake piety and moral hypocrisy. The club is a private club. You only go there if you are interested in going there. How, in the world, do they bother anyone with their activities? If the criminals are hiding there, then go and arrest those criminals and leave the non-criminals there to do whatever they are doing that is not illegal. What is the problem with Nigeria and Nigerians??? Why all these hypocrisy? How does Archbishop Okogie knows what goes on inside the strip club? Is he concerned because the membership of his church is dwindling? What law has any of those ladies or managers broken for which they were being arrested? So much nonsense.
We are in a free world, believe me these who called they self the prosecutor watch your backs before you lay courses upon yourself there is no job for these girls do you think if there’s anything good to do wouldn’t they do or you think these are loving these that they do. create jobs for them fix they up with something good. instead the all so called oil money are for the few that thinks they own this country….this just starting yet, lets watch in time to come.
these so called officials are hypocrites! after having their fill of the girls they now have them arrested? you and i know that these clubs are their playground. i stand to be corrected.
i also think the girls should sue the vanguard newspaper for showing their faces when not convicted of any known crime. its unprofessional and indecent the way this tabloid shows their private parts to the public as against what they do in private.
you are all whores commenting on dis shit!!! how can u encourage dis madness by attacking the law? how? i sure hate the law, cops especially but look at what our young girls are doing, for what? money? will you all be talking if ur sisters were in dis nonsense? well since you all like what they are doing, i wish you marry wife’s like dis!!! dumb fools