LADIES BEWARE! MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR IS HERE...

EKO (the traditional name for Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital) has always been a hustle and bustle city. According to the recent 2006 census, Lagos is home to anywhere between 9 to 13 million people (depending on where you look), making it the 2nd most populated state and probably the 11th most populated city in the world. It is an aggressive place where people work tirelessly, in the intense heat, to make ends meet, but enjoy themselves at night at bars/clubs, at Owambe parties (neighborhood parties that last until the wee hours of the morning) or simply by hanging out with friends at the local 'Mama Put'. It is truly the city that never sleeps.

It seems, however, that the new Commissioner of Police ("CoP") is out to stamp out "immorality" from this 'Center of Excellence'. Mohammed Abubakar ordered a clampdown of 'indecently dressed' girls. His rationale was that suggestive outfits cause public disorder. As a result, 90 women and 3 men were arrested and appeared before a magistrate court on charges of indecent dresses.

Although I am extremely curious to know what the 3 arrested men were wearing to fall into the net of the 'indecency' police, I am outraged that Abubakar would try to dictate what a woman should wear when she is out minding her own business. Yes, some might wonder if these women were prostitutes dressed for their trade. There is no evidence to suggest this and so I will not assume that they were arrested on that basis. Despite this, I declare that even if they wanted to dress like ashawo (a loose woman/harlot), it is not and has never been the CoP's concern.

Instead, I rather focus on the fact the Nigeria's constitution does not ban 'indecent' dressing. That being the case, on what legal basis does Abubakar determine that 'indecent' dressing is a crime to warrant arrest and prosecution. Upon what state or federal law will these 9 women and 3 men actually be charged? They did not commit a crime from a legal perspective, nor did they commit a crime from any other standpoint. Lagos, believe it or not, is a liberal city. Our women may dress the way they want, especially under the cover of darkness in an attempt to enjoy themselves. That is not a secret in the city of Bubblers. I bet anything that those women didn't look half as bad as the average video honey in a hip hop video.

It disappoints and even scares me to even think that the Sharia mentality of certain northern states may be affecting the thinking of the CoP. We all know what happens in certain Sharia regions where women must be covered from head to toe. I will reserve my feelings on Sharia Law, but it is suffice to say that I respect what some people have chosen for themselves. I will mention that we all know that even Sharia states have areas were 'immorality' is allowed, to an extent. Lagos is not a Muslim state. It isn't even a Christian state. It is Eko - a state, a city, a mentality, a way of life. In its own way it probably supplants religion (no disrespect to anyone). The real residents of Eko are Lagosians first and everything else later, which is why it is a place where anyone and everyone can come to and live in relative peace. To now have this CoP trying to change our cultural norms is disquieting and if Sharia mentality has anything to do it, I shudder to think of the possible future.

Keep in mind that these actions are on the heels of the Hisbah or Sharia Police threatening to enter Sabon Giri, an enclave of non-muslims in Kano. It seems that there is a breeze of morality in the air. I am all for morality, but I believe in focusing on priorities. The way a woman dresses has no correlation, direct or otherwise, to the violence and lack of security that Lagos experiences. Lagosians sometimes rely on street justice to punish and deter crime. Abubakar should continue to work on improving the state of security in Lagos and not worry about whether the length of some young girl's skirt is making him or any of his subordinates blush.

PS. - Gani Fawehinmi, the resident Al Sharpton of Nigeria, feel free to take this case all the way to the Supreme Court. This issue has got the exteemed SAN's (Senior Advocate of Nigeria) name written all over it....