The
raid at Caramelo nightclub testifies to an incipient moral policing that is
slowly being introduced in Abuja. This policing process is heavily biased
against women and must be nipped in the bud. Feminists and human rights
campaigners must call out this obnoxious trend because the law is being used to
legitimize and mask what is patently a very oppressive and iniquitous process.
The
recent raid at a nightclub in Abuja raises so many questions regarding the law
as well as the social and moral trends in the country. Some days ago, some
officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) stormed a
popular nightclub in Abuja called Caramelo and arrested female strippers. From
available reports, they apprehended only female, not male dancers. The
officials claimed that the raid was carried out in response to security reports
and complaints from residents in the area. From all indications, this was not
the case. There was more to this operation than just a response to security
reports.
Now
let’s examine the complaints. They included “noise nuisance from loud party
music, nude/strip dancing club activities, intractable traffic challenge”. The
officials said that they raided the building after investigating and validating
these complaints. In addition, a municipal officer who led the team, Umar
Shuaibu, said that the club was raided because the property was approved for a
health clinic but the clinic was later turned into a nightclub. And the
operator of the Caramelo nightclub had been told severally to stop operations
to no avail.
Now
it is a welcome development that the FCTA authorities are trying to combat
noise pollution in Abuja. This is 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 are still operating. So, why have they not raided these clubs and
pubs?
Again,
if the FCTA authorities were mainly concerned about noise pollution, they
should have provided regulations for loud party music that applied to all
institutions including churches and mosques. These regulations would have
helped to clearly see where Caramelo's party music crossed the line. But they
did not.
In
addition, the officials said that they had validated the complaints about strip
dancing at this night club. Hey, what did they expect to be going on at a
nightclub? If people are not dancing at a club, what would they be doing?
Fasting and praying? Niqab dancing? Is this not like complaining about people’s
modes of dressing at a venue for a fashion parade? Is strip dancing illegal in
Nigeria?
Now
if actually, the FCDA officials raided the Caramelo night club because the
property was not being used according to plan and approval, this is
understandable. But how does that justify the arrest, and manhandling of only
female strip dancers? Were the dancers the owners of the property? Imagine the
images of some of the dancers being forced into vans and trucks with only pants
and bras, without allowing them to put on their clothes?
In
fact, the officer in charge of Social Development, Safiya Umar, said that the
dancers would be taken to a center for rehabilitation. Really? So, why
rehabilitate them? Is strip dancing a form of disease? What will be the content
of this rehabilitation program? Teaching the women how to dance legally, with
their clothes on?
The
raid at Caramelo nightclub testifies to an incipient moral policing that is
slowly being introduced in Abuja. This policing process is heavily biased
against women and must be nipped in the bud. Feminists and human rights
campaigners must call out this obnoxious trend because the law is being used to
legitimize and mask what is patently a very oppressive and iniquitous process.
Just
take a look at the video and photos of the arrest, and you would be appalled at
the way the dancers were treated as if they were criminals. The entire
operation dripped with patriarchy, hypocrisy, gender bias and misogyny. The
raid was all about arresting, humiliating and disgracing women. Meanwhile, men
are the main patronizers of this nightclub. Strip dancers danced with men and
for men, seldom for women in Caramelo. In fact, men were responsible for the
heavy traffic in the area. Men also came and carried out the arrests.
Meanwhile, no male person was arrested. No man was bundled into a truck for
questioning. So, no man was involved in the dancing? No males needed
rehabilitation? Right? I mean, this utterly disgusting show of shame must stop!
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