The Lagos State Government through its agency, Safety Commission has warned night clubs owners in the state to desist from using drugs and firearms in their environment as its planning to deal with offenders.
The state safety commission has decried the increasing use of drugs and firearms in nightclubs and has vowed to shut down any clubs caught with such issues henceforth as it is planning to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to address the situation in the state.
Speaking at a meeting with the night clubs owners held in Lagos, the Director-General (DG) of the commission, Lanre Mojola, warned that the state government has zero tolerance for the use of drugs and firearms at night clubs and would henceforth promise to deal with the perpetrators
Mojola lamented that the use of hard drugs and firearms had become rampant in several nightclubs across Lagos and would collaborate with relevant authorities to stop such proliferation.
The DG also decried the presence of the underaged in many nightclubs in the state, saying that it was against the law to allow such to occur.
In his words: “The purpose of the meeting is to address certain concerns that have come to the attention of the commission.
According to him, “Lots of night clubs frontages have been turned to drug sales outlets, you need to address that, night clubs need to have lots of signages on designated areas for smoking. The issue of being underaged in nightclubs should also be addressed.
He warned nightclub owners to respect the laws of the state as the government would not hesitate to wield the big stick on those flagrantly violating the laws of the state regarding the operation of nightclubs.
The DG also called on nightclub owners to take responsibility and form an association to better tackle the issues of drug and firearms usage in clubs, adding that no security detail should be allowed to carry firearms.
Speaking also at the meeting, the staff officer in charge of operations Lagos State Command, Superintendent of Narcotics Maijama’a Abdullahi, lamented that drugs were being used in most night clubs from his findings after undergoing a secret tour of some clubs in Lagos.
He said that many nightclubs had no signage to warn people against doing drugs, decrying that drugs were being used excessively.
“The drug dealers stick around the clubs, they stick outside the clubs and sell drugs. Some of those selling drugs are friends with the bouncers. We need the help of club owners, it is getting out of hand.
Mojola ended the meeting by saying that the commission alongside security agencies will start regular visits to nightclubs in the State and shut down erring ones.
