The fear of Boko Haram: Abuja goes haram

*Nightclubbing, haram
*Beer parlours, haram
*Drinking joints, haram
*Parks & gardens, haram
*On-street-parking, haram – after 10pm

By Jide Ajani & Umoru Henry (Vanguard)

This is a report of how the fear of Boko Haram is threatening to change night life in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.  It is a season of a long list of forbidden activities after 10pm – including weekends.

It had to make tough decisions. The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, acting on intelligence and sound security advice, is toeing the path of caution.  Just as it was in the early days after the September,11,2001 destruction of the twin-towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, USA, with stricter security measures put in place at international and local airports across the globe, the FCTA  is also acting in a proactive manner.

The Boko Haram sect, that reportedly struck a deadly blow at the heart of the nation’s security forces, by setting off a bomb at the Police Force Headquarters, has forced the hands of the FCTA officials to send out a message of precaution.

The sect’s name which means banishment or to forbid the enthronement of Western education and culture which has bastardised Islam and the North, thrives on the word haram, which means forbidden.

And, for Abuja, where night life is one of the things keeping Nigeria’s capital city alive and kicking, residents would have to re-adjust to current realities.

Following the bomb explosion that rocked the Force Headquarters and threat by members of the sect to carry out more attacks, the FCTA, last Tuesday, banned on-the-street parking around the Federal Secretariat.

The administration also ordered that all parks and gardens that admit children must close at 6pm daily including weekends.  This is just a few in a long list of forbidden engagements in the FCT.

Cinema/film centres and disco/night clubs are now forbidden to operate beyond 10pm daily including weekends.

Also affected are beer parlours, drinking joints and pool centres.

In two statements issued last Tuesday by Muhammad Hazat Sule, the FCTA also declared that it has become forbidden for vehicles to park on the Ahmadu Bello Way, Central District of the Federal Capital City, pointing out that “this is due to the prevailing security situation and the need to ensure safety of lives and property in the Federal Capital Territory”.

The statement read in part, “To this end, motorists and other road-users are advised to make use of the designated parking lot around the area. Any violator of this ban will be promptly arrested for prosecution and vehicle impounded.

“The FCT Administration has announced the immediate review of administration of parks and gardens, cinema/film centre, disco/night clubs and other recreational centres in the Federal Capital Territory.

“Henceforth, all operators of the above-mentioned venues of recreation have been directed to adhere to the following time limit for their operations. Parks & gardens that admit children are to close at 6pm daily including weekends. Cinemas/film centres and disco/night clubs are to close at 10pm daily including weekends. Beer parlours/drinking joints and pool centres are to close at 10pm daily including weekends.

“Operators of all the above-mentioned centres apart from complying with the directive must put in place adequate security on their premises. The entrance and exit points into such premises must be properly manned.

“These measures are necessitated by the need to ensure adequate security of lives and property in the Federal Capital Territory sequel to the prevailing security concerns. Monitoring teams will be going round to ensure strict compliance, please.’’

The police had to quickly make some clarifications regarding the nature and meaning of the fresh measures.  This clarification came at a time when some residents were already insinuating that this was a form of curfew.

The police authorities insisted that movement around the capital city has not been forbidden beyond 10pm.  The police also clarified that it would work to enforce compliance of the new measures as it would go a long way in reducing possible casualties from any bombing attempt by the sect members. Abuja is known for its night life.  As early as 5:30 pm every day, parks and drinking joints begin to receive customers who retire first at the joints before going home to rest for the day.  Most of the parks operate till the early hours of the following day.

The reason for this is largely because a better proportion of middle income earners who work in the capital city reside in satellite towns around Abuja and find it difficult driving straight home after work.  Some choose to cool off because of the traffic situation on their way home while others use the parks as recreation points where other further forms of extra-curricular activities take place.

There are those who shift business discussions to the joints in the hope and belief that business deals can be wrapped up before the following day’s work. Some even open and go through office files while enjoying their drinks.  Fresh fish, roasted chicken, nwkobi (cow leg) and isi-ewu (goat head), snail, beef, bush meat and are all regular delicacies served at the joints and parks.  At weekends, some of the joints do not close until about 2am or 3am.

Interestingly, the forbidden time of operation which is 10pm is usually the time when the joints begin to witness a surge in patronage from customers.  It is at about that time that customers begin to troop in, sometimes in the company of friends – males and females alike.
Unfortunately, all these are now haram, after 10pm.