Ten female nude dancers arrested by the police recently at some night clubs located at Ikeja, have been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court for prostitution. They are Moji Oguntade, Cynthia Ekweme, Bose Adebayo, Opeyemi Harrison, Terilla Johnson, Fatimoh Abiola, Valerie Thomson, Amanda Canos, Natasha Phillips and Bridget Aborime.
Also arraigned with them were Benjamin Osakpolor and Emmanuel Ofor, proprietors of two night clubs, Club Unique and Wall Street, raided by the police.
One of the two-count charge filed against the 10 nude dancers reads: “That you, Benjamin Osakpolor, Emmanuel Ofor, Moji Oguntade, Cynthia Ekweme, Bose Adebayo, Opeyemi Harrison, Terilla Johnson, Fatimoh Abiola, Valerie Thomson, Amanda Canos, Natasha Phillips and Bridget Aborime on or about October 31, 2009 at Wall Street Club and Club Unique, both located at Ikeja, did willfully and unlawfully conducted yourself indecently in public by dancing naked.”
The second charge reads: “That you, Emmanuel Ofor, Benjamin Osakpolor on the same date and at the aforementioned judicial district, did persistently solicit patronage for immoral purposes in public and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 225 (A1) of the Criminal Code, Cap.C, Laws of Lagos state.
The twelve defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Mrs. O. Ogunbowale, in the sum of N50,000 with one surety.
Following the expose on the activities of Lagos nude clubs, where young ladies dance stark naked and practice live sex on stage to entertain patrons, the state government wielded the big stick last month by raiding and shutting them down.
The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Monitoring Unit which raided four strip clubs on the Opebi–Allen axis of Ikeja, also arrested 33 naked dancers and two managers of the clubs.
The four nude clubs raided are Club Unique, Wall Street, Cazzbah and Magic City, formerly known as Ocean Blue.
P.M.NEWS reports that before the raid on the clubs were carried out, some task force officials had visited the clubs disguised as patrons.
Chairman of the task force, Mr. Bayo Sulaiman, told P.MNews that the state government shut the clubs as a result of public outcry, adding that the clubs had become hideouts for criminals and undesirable elements in the society.