NewzSOKOTO, Nigeria (AP) — Multicolored strobe lights sweep across a dance floor soon to throng with sweaty revelers and shrilling voices singing along to Afrobeats in a nightclub that is thriving despite being in one of northern Nigeria’s most deeply… Despite its reputation, there is a thriving nightlife alongside strict religious codes, a morality police, and security challenges fueled by attacks by jihadi groups.“This is nearly 2 a.m., and as you can see, everyone is outside to have fun,” Tabat told The Associated Press. Tabat was fired up by the booming music all night, dancing with female companions as he portioned out drinks into emptying cups on the table.Partygoers shun regulated daily lifeAt the center of northern Nigeria's strict religious code is the local Islamic police, known as the Hisbah force, whose personnel are tasked with upholding public morals across some of the region's 19 states.They often patrol cities and raid key spots to enforce Shariah and local laws, such as dress codes, haircuts and alcohol bans, with seized bottles often destroyed.
Partygoers, however, say they are not deterred.For frequent reveler Benjamin Danjuma, weekend outings are nearly sacrosanct. The few clubs and bars in Sokoto city are his haunts, and the scene for him is no different from those in the more liberal southern Nigeria.“We are living our life more than anybody’s expectation in this state,” he said. We are not left behind.”Gone are the days when nightlife and partying were considered taboo in conservative Nigerian society, as people have been partying for a long time, said Oluwamayowa Idowu, founder of Culture Custodian, a leading culture publication based in Lagos.Amid the security crisis and its fallout of economic hardship in the region, nightlife offers people an escape from the tough realities, said Idowu.
“The north has been ravaged by insecurity, but people still live there, and people still participate in life there dai…
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