Entertainment plays a critical role in any society in terms of socio-economic contributions. Just as it is often stated, entertainment is good for all, especially as it impacts the emotional and psychological state of human beings.
In spite of this, some forms of entertainment are erotic and not meant for persons who are underage.
This is why in movies, producers and marketers usually rate movies for appropriateness of the target audiences that should watch them.
It is the reason movies and films are labeled for adults only when erotic scenes would be viewed.
So, when a movie is classified as G, it means the movie is meant for general audience; children and adults can watch.
Another categorisation is PG, which is parental guidance, which means, parents would determine if children should watch the movie or not, while when a film is tagged 12, it means suitable for children aged 12 years and above.
Also, 12A means same as 12, but younger children can be admitted if accompanied, while 18 means only adults are admitted.
It is same philosophy that guides locations often called red-light districts or zones within a community.
They are areas in urban vicinities with prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, brothels and adult theatres. So, they are places officially designated by authorities for legal prostitution as well as sex-oriented businesses to help regulate the industry and other related activities, such that they were confined to a single area or located away from residential places.
Although prostitution is not legal in Nigeria, quite a number of brothels and clubhouses are springing up within residential areas in Lagos, where sex is offered at a fee.
While this is gradually becoming a norm, strip clubs, where ladies provide erotic dances while half or completely nude; is gradually spreading as such spots are growing as places fun seekers could visit for pleasure.
Before now, such clubs are not sited within residential areas. They could mostly be found in commercial hubs of Ikeja and Victoria Island. Even in those commercial areas, it is done discreetly with many of the places advertised as places for clubbing and bars. But that is no longer the case. This is because strip clubs and brothels are now commonly seen in residential areas across Lagos and their activities advertised within those residential areas.
And more of them are springing up in purely residential vicinity, with some even advertising their services with billboards placed conspicuously in-front of their buildings or the prostitutes parading in front of the brothels, despite they are located in purely residential area.
From Oshodi to Surulere, Ago-Palace, Agege, Orile, Okoko, Iba, Ikotun, Ajegunle, Egbeda and Festac to mention a few, new strip clubs and brothels are setting up, providing services to clients at the detriment of underage persons within the community, especially as many of them often advertise their services with billboards placed at the entrances of the buildings.
A resident of Wilma, Barakat Shokunbi, complained bitterly of how brothels are being set up indiscriminately within her environ.
She added that while they are still grappling with skimpily dressed girls at night, hawking their bodies, many of the brothels especially the big ones, are now advertising strip club activities.
Shokunbi appealed to the state government to take concerted efforts to check the way brothels and strip clubs are set up across the state particularly within residential areas.
“We have children and young girls within this community. Yet they are made to interact with this type of activities on a daily basis. Many of the girls that hawk their bodies are so shameless about their acts and there are implications for this.”
Also, a resident of Oshodi, Ademola Ojo, said that across Oshodi and its environ brothels are sited in almost every streets with some of them advertising strip clubbing activities.
He maintained that these acts post serious threat to public moral and endangers the children who are the future of the country.
“The irony is that many residential building are being bought and converted to brothels and strip clubs centres. This is not healthy for the society especially for residential environments. The government needs to act on this and check the activities of the owners and managers of such places.”
Ojo wondered what often runs through the minds of children when they go through many of these spots especially at night, where the girls openly display their activities.
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