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General News of Tuesday, 2 March 2021

Source: sunnewsonline.com

Lagos: Police go after night club owners for flouting coronavirus rules

Cubana night club Cubana night club

The Lagos State Police Command has ordered the arrest of the owner of Cubana night club for allegedly violating 12 midnights to 4 am curfew imposed by the state government.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, said the Command would soon arraign 172 persons who were arrested by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Team by CSP Ngozi Braide on Saturday at the Cubana night club.

The IGP Monitoring Team had at the early hours of Saturday stormed the club following a tip-off about a large gathering at the location.

At a press briefing at the Command’s Ikeja headquarters on Monday, Odumosu said that in spite of efforts of the state government to encourage young people to comply with COVID-19 control protocols, a good number of them still find it difficult to comply.

Odumosu, who insisted that self-compliance to the COVID-19 regulations are sacrosanct, disclosed that operatives of the Command raided some night clubs in the early hours of Saturday.

He said the night club breached COVID-19 protocols and did not adhere to the social distancing rule and the use of face masks.

"We have 172 people inside one club breaching the social distancing rule and there is a viral video to that effect circulating on the internet," the commissioner said.

"They have been arrested for violating the law of the state and the law will take its course. They will be charged to court and whatever decision the court takes is what we will comply.

"The owner of the club was not there, he had disappeared when we got there. So also when we arrested fun seekers in Victoria Club, Ajose Adeogun, the owner was nowhere to be found but when we locked his club and arrested some of his staff, he came out from where he was hiding and was charged to court. It also repeated itself at Club 38 in Surulere, the owner also came out when we shut down the club and he has been charged to court.

"So, definitely the owner of Cubana would surely surface because we have shut down his club and arrested some of his staff as well.

"Cubana Club has been raided in the past but it was the one at GRA, Ikeja, and it has been sealed off by the Lagos State Safety Commission. It is only clubbing that is totally banned, but all other social engagements must get the approval of the Lagos State Safety Commission before engaging.

"Two weeks ago, I shut down a wedding reception in Ikeja for violating the stipulated number of people that were approved by the Lagos State Safety Commission for the wedding. They had the certificate, which they got from the commission quite all right, but it only approved 100 people for the outdoor wedding. After doing a headcount, they were up to 300 people indoors.

"Clubs are permitted to open as long as they don’t engage in nightclubbing because this activity has been totally banned. Others must get approval from the safety commission before they can be allowed to engage in social activities like selling foodstuffs and drinks. Even with this, they must ensure that social distancing, face mask-wearing are adhered to as well as keeping in line with the curfew time, which is between 12 midnight and 4 am.

"Once these protocols are observed they would have no problem with the law," he added.

Although hotels, eateries, churches and some beaches have since resumed business following the ease of the statewide lockdown, clubhouses have remained closed.

To minimise losses, the government earlier permitted clubhouses with open bars and restaurants like Cubana to resume such services with strict observance of all COVID-19 protocols.