Nightclub raid, patriarchy and moral order in Abuja

The recent raid in a nightclub in Abuja raises many questions about the law as well as the social and moral trends of the country. A few days ago, officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) stormed a popular nightclub in Abuja called Caramelo and arrested strippers. According to the reports available, they only apprehended dancers, not dancers. Officials said the raid was organized in response to security reports and complaints from residents in the area. Obviously, this was not the case. This operation was not limited to a simple response to security reports.

Now let's look at the complaints. They included "loud noises from loud party music, naked / striptease club activities, an intractable traffic challenge". Officials said they raided the building after investigating and validating the complaints. In addition, Umar Shuaibu, a municipal officer in charge of the team, said the club had been raided because the property had been approved for a health clinic, but that it was then turned into a box by night. And the operator of the discotheque Caramelo had been ordered to put an end to his operations, but to no avail.

It is now encouraging that the FCTA authorities are trying to combat noise pollution in Abuja. It's a fantastic initiative. But it seems that they have made Caramelo a scapegoat. This is because there are many pubs in Abuja where they play loud music, very loud music, as they do in Caramelo. But these places still work. So why did not they break into these clubs and pubs?

Again, if the FCTA authorities were primarily concerned with noise pollution, they should have provided rules for loud party music that applied to all institutions, including churches and mosques. These regulations would have made it clear where Caramelo's party music crossed the line. But they did not do it.

In addition, officials said they validated complaints about dancing in this nightclub. Hey, what were they waiting for in a nightclub? If people did not dance in a club, what would they do? Fast and pray? Niqab dancing? Is not it like complaining about the way people dress during a fashion show? Is striptease illegal in Nigeria?

Now, if in reality the FCDA officials searched the Caramelo nightclub because the property was not being used according to plan and approval, that is understandable. But how does this justify the arrest and manipulation of only band dancers? Were the dancers the owners of the property? Imagine the images of some dancers forced to ride in vans and trucks with only pants and bras, without allowing them to dress? In fact, the social development officer, Safiya Umar, said the dancers would be taken to a reeducation center. Really? So, why rehabilitate them? Is band dancing a form of disease? What will be the content of this rehabilitation program? Teach women how to dance legally, with their clothes?

The raid carried out in the Caramelo nightclub testifies to the introduction of a moral police being gradually introduced in Abuja. This process of maintaining order is highly detrimental to women and must be removed. Feminists and human rights activists must denounce this odious trend because the law is used to legitimize and disguise what is clearly a very oppressive and iniquitous process.

Take a look at the video and photos of the arrest, and you would be appalled by the way the dancers were treated like criminals. The entire operation was marked by patriarchy, hypocrisy, badist prejudices and misogyny. The raid was intended to stop, humiliate and disgrace women. Meanwhile, men are the main protectors of this nightclub. Band dancers have danced with men and for men, rarely for women in Caramelo. In fact, men were responsible for the intense traffic in the area. Men also came and made the arrests. Meanwhile, no man has been arrested. No men were taken in a truck for questioning. So, no man has been involved in the dance? No man needed rehabilitation? Right? I mean, this completely disgusting shame demonstration has to stop!