Inside Nigeria’s Sodom
• Crazy world of s3x clubs where fun-seeking Nigerians waste millions on open s3x, hard drugs, booze daily
•Poverty drove us into flaunting our nakedness at night clubs —Strippers
•Patrons: we do it to kill depression, emotional stress
THE effervescent night was fast dovetailing into the wee hours. The fast pace of Lagos life was receding into a dreary, sleepy state. The whines of automobiles on the highways could be heard occasionally, as they were already thinning out. The full moon looked like a big ball as it roosted on the horizon, its hazy rays doing a feeble battle with the ubiquitous street lights and powerful beams festooned on the skyscrapers that lit the city into thrilling effulgence.
This particular back street on Lagos Island, however, refused to wind up into sleep. The day had just broken, as they say. This is one of the busy enclaves that give the city its ‘sleepless Lagos’ moniker! Life here is a nightly fever pitch, roistering din.
The barely translucent fluorescent lights oozing from every angle of the popular club arena cast the neighborhood into grotesque shadows. And the loud music blaring from huge loud speakers placed in strategic corners sliced deeply into the eerie stillness of the ambience.
Paradoxically, however, in spite of the cacophony, you could notice a semblance of order as you inch into the premises. Nobody was allowed to mill around aimlessly. Some fearful-looking thickset, macho, broad-chest guys manned the entrance of the restricted ‘VIP’ haven. Welcome to a typical Lagos s3x club!
Often, people see crowded places as an opportunity to do illegal activities such as have s3x and perform drugs, while others pay little attention.
It is widely accepted that strip clubs offer many individuals relief from everyday life problems as they use strip clubs to satisfy fantasies, kill boredom, have fun, and secretly perform the most unimaginable acts, including drug abuse and live s3x. A common occurrence at many adult entertainment shows, particularly in high-energy venues.
At deadly hours, young adults – male and female- find their ways to strip clubs and entertainment shows where expensive alcoholic drinks, drugs and live s3x are the order of the ‘night’.
Millions of naira goes into these illegalities every night, even as this lifestyle gradually threatens a healthy living as ailments such as STDs, lung cancer and depression are in sight.
“You no smoke, you no drink, you no still carry olosho (prostitute), wetin you wan use dey reason? Life is meant to be enjoyed-o! You only live once; so flex,” Dorathy, a 24-year-old student and club goer said.
“Instead of wasting your time and effort on some kind of relationship that will end up shattering your heart, is it not better to come here, get high, have s3x with any girl of your choice and go home? At least, you don’t have to worry about ‘breakfast’ (a euphemism for breakup).”
Open s3x in the club
Just like reverend institutions do to first-timers, at any stripper’s club, naked young ladies between the ages of 18 and 26 would welcome everyone who comes in a very polite and civil manner, accompanied with a warm handshake most times, as they lead you to your seat. They warmly ask if you’d want a lap dance or s3x. Just before getting access into the club, you are required to part with N5, 000. Some clubs charge more while some charge less depending on standards. However, it is mandatory to buy drinks after gaining access to the club. Once inside, it is an entirely different world of obscenity, drugs, alcoholism and s3x. On this day, no fewer than 40 girls were on parade in this particular club, with over 100 men going in and out for different needs.
Seated on a four-foot high desk was a naked stripper, who spread her legs wide, facing a client who then inserted his left hand into her private part, while the other hand grappled her breasts as they openly engaged in s3xual activities there and then. That done, she dictated her account number to the s3xually satisfied young man, who then made a transfer of N10,000 to her.
In a brief chat with Lizzy, one of the strippers, who thought she had found another client in our reporter, she confided that stripping and live s3x were her escape valves from poverty.
“Everything is for the money even though a lot of money goes down here every night. As for me, fun aside, I make nothing less than N100,000 per night. If you wan touch and caress me, na N3,000 you go pay. But if you want live s3x for open bar here, na N10,000. If you dey shy, we fit go inside VIP, but that one na N15,000,”one of the strippers advertised.
Without a whimper of remorse, she explained why she opted to ply the delicate trade. The graduate of Office Technology Management (0TM) recalled that after searching for and trying her hands on some jobs upon graduation and getting peanut offers for the efforts, she found herself in the strip industry.
Lizzy said: “I have a family to feed. I am the first born of my parents. My dad is late and my mother is helpless in the village. So, what do you expect me to do when I have five siblings also looking up to me?
“In fact, dem don beg me say dem wan come meet me for Lagos. But I no gree because I no wan make dem do this kind job. There’s a lot of money but it’s risky in many ways.
“These things don become normal to me, even though sometimes I dey feel bad say no be here I suppose dey. But I do it for the money, and whenever I remember say na for the money, I go just get high and forget any other thing.” she said.
Asked what she uses in getting high, the light-skinned pretty striper with some colorful tattoos on her shoulders, boldly said, “Weed na.”
“I dey smoke Loud, Arizona and anyone. Once I do am like this, I no dey see anybody again; na to dey do my work dey go.”
Expensive alcoholic drinks
Expensive cocktails worth hundreds of thousands of naira are carefully stacked behind the bar’s corners where patrons may see them. The least costly drink one can find costs no less than N40,000, while more expensive cocktails might cost up to N350,000. Due to the intense competition among the “ballers”, the abuse of these hard beverages is unparalleled, even if they sell faster than the inexpensive ones.
While the strippers become the main attraction, wealthy men can be seen “tackling” one another over who has more money and can afford more costly drinks.
“Na those ballers dey make this place sweet,” a security guy in one of the clubs told our reporter during an innocent conversation. “No club can survive without them because they spend a lot of money when they come.
“The most interesting days are when opposition ballers come on the same day. Omo! Na that time you go know say money dey this country.
“One baller fit spend N3 million for one night. Na the girls and the owner of this place know how much dem dey make per night.”
Before consuming them, club goers were observed blending various beverages and dumping some on their pricey Rolex wristwatches as they made money rain.
Some of the expensive booze include Ace of Spades priced between N300,000 and N800,000 per bottle in top clubs; Dom Perignon, between N350,000 and N500,000; Luc Belaire priced between N92,000 and N100,000 per bottle; Hennessy XO – N80,000 – N100,000 and Clase Azul Reposado which costs more than N300,000.
Drugs abuse
Some people enjoy having s3x and drinking booze, while others prefer to use drugs as the night wears on. After using drugs, some people can be seen acting strangely and slowly. Indian hemp, commonly referred to as “weed” by users, is wrapped in a brown paper called rizla. After taking a drag, both men and women pass the stick to the next person until it is reduced to “Claro.”
“Drugs are the easiest thing now. Normally as you’re coming in, you already know where you’re coming and you know it is available in excess here unless you don’t have your money.
“Me I don dey okay already, even before coming here. Na only Loud I dey take because na Loud dey work for my body but e dey expensive small,” said John, who also just had a s3xual intercourse in the public space.
Among the narcotics frequently seen at clubs are marijuana (weed), codeine, tramadol, skunk, Loud, Colorado and refnol. Drug sales are thought to be more profitable.
‘Why we patronise strip clubs’
“I would say everyone has something they fantasise about. There’s this feeling when you see girls naked dancing around the pole. It’s such a beautiful feeling.
“And what makes it more beautiful is that it is mostly done in an enclosed place where only those who enjoy such fantasies get to patronise such places.
“I would say fantasy and nothing more than that,” said Alex, one of the patrons, during an interaction with this reporter.
He added: “Sometimes I wear two or three condoms in order to protect myself. So I think with that there’s no way I could have a s3xually transmitted disease.
“In terms of satisfaction, the fact that you fantasise about something and you are able to experience it is a very different feeling.
“It’s quite satisfying because you get several s3x styles that you might not get from your wife of girlfriend, and she might be having s3x with you while twerking at the same time.”
Another patron, Adedayo, revealed that he once contracted infection after having an unprotected s3x with a stripper.
“God saved me it wasn’t HIV. What would I have done?” he wondered.
“It was just one of those days and I and my guys went to the club and I didn’t have condom.
“Although I no plan s3x any girl that night, but as I reach there that stripper enter my eyes and I had to do it like that.
“After a few days, I discovered I wasn’t myself health wise so I went for a check-up. Bro, I had STI.
“The last time I went there, I didn’t have s3x. I only received oral s3x.”
The health risks
The World Health Organisation claims that alcohol use causes three million deaths annually, as well as millions of disabilities and bad health across the world. Overall, 5.1% of the world’s illness burden is attributed to excessive alcohol usage.
“Harmful use of alcohol is accountable for 7.1% and 2.2% of the global burden of disease for males and females respectively. Alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability among those aged 15 to 49 years, accounting for 10 percent of all deaths in this age group. Disadvantaged and especially vulnerable populations have higher rates of alcohol-related deaths and hospitalization.”
The National Health Service of the United Kingdom also advised against regular alcohol consumption, while noting that those who regularly consume alcohol run the risk of developing at least six different illnesses, including cancers of the mouth, throat, and breast, stroke, heart disease, liver disease, brain damage and nervous system damage. (The Nation)