Lagosians’ unholy business transactions at night

A magician displaying at a night club in Lagos.
Photo: Akin Adewakun.In spite of the problem of insecurity in the state of excellence, Lagosians still find time in the odd hours of the day to transact businesses especially at night clubs and drinking joints. Akin Adewakun reports.

IN spite of the worrisome trend the issue of security has taken in recent times in the centre of excellence which has made security-conscious Nigerians to scamper into the safety of their homes immediately night approaches, Lagos still holds its attractions at nights for some of its residents who believe life should be enjoyed to the fullest.

Investigations by Lagos Life revealed that in spite of the fact that the idea of night parties has gone into oblivion in the city, some nocturnal Lagosians are ready to make it up at night clubs and drinking joints.

For instance, areas like Ikeja, Ikoyi and the famous Ojuelegba in the metropolis boast of night clubs that are ready to hold their customers spell-bound till the wee hours of the following day, irrespective of the day in the week. In a chat with Mike, one of the frequent visitors to one of the joints very close to Opebi Round About in Ikeja, Lagos Life was told that the peculiar situation of the city had made it imperative for residents to seek “solace in the green bottles and all other vices that go with it”.

Mike, who works in a computer servicing firm in Allen Avenue, argued that he lives somewhere in Okokomaiko, which is quite a distance from Ikeja. Besides, he stated, the traffic bottleneck in the area always makes a mess of time management.

“As a result, I stay back after I must have closed around 6’O’clock in the evening till about 10 pm. By then, when traffic on the road is expected to have reduced. It saves you a lot of stress,” he stated.

But, Muyiwa, who lives in Sango Ota area in Ogun State but works in Ikoyi, stated that he always stays back because there is always power outage in his area and this would not be restored until very late in the night.

“Going home immediately after office hours is something I dread of since I know I would never meet light at home”, he said.

But aren’t they scared , moving at odd hours in a city notorious for its violent crime? “Definitely, while one is not unaware of the security situation in the city, some circumstances beyond our control have made it imperative for people like me to stay late outside. It is either you go out and pray for God’s protection or die of hunger at home”, says Mike.

But, apart from the likes of Mike and Muyiwa who stay late outside due to the exigencies of office, some Lagosians actually ply their trades at this odd time of the day.
For instance, very close to Allen Round About in Ikeja, some food vendors are actually available late into the night to attend to the nocturnal Lagosians. “

The first day I passed through the place and saw such a huge crowd late into the night eating and drinking, I thought it was one of the night parties, which the city is well known for, was actually going on”, says Kemi, who resides somewhere behind Balogun bus stop, in Ikeja.

According to her, the food vendors would not start cooking until very late in the night and one would be surprised that before the wee hours of the following day, they must have exhausted their wares and made good profit.

And, surprisingly, she continued, while some are eating, some are actually there to solicit for one favour or the other. “It is a scene typically Lagosian”, she concluded.

Perhaps, this is why the city has continued to hold its attractions to millions of Nigerians. The feeling that the opportunities are there anytime of the day, has no doubt turned its residents to nocturnal beings who believe no hour is too odd to engage in any activity that will spin money.