The Lagos state commissioner of police, Edgal Imohimi, has
warned that anyone caught having sex inside a car in a public place in the
state, stand the risk of being jailed for 2 years.
In a statement released by the command's spokesperson, Chike
Oti, CP Imohimi said he had to make this clarification following the recent
tweet by ACP Yomi Shogunle who said it isn't a crime to have sex in a public
place(Read here).
Read the statement from the Commissioner of Police below.
The attention of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP
Imohimi Edgal has been drawn to an online publication credited to @POLICENG_PCRRU
to the effect that " Sex in a car in a public place is not a crime in
Nigeria provided;
1. Location is not a place of worship
2. Parties are 18yrs+
3. The act is consensual (agreed to by parties)
4. Parties are of opposite sex
If threatened with arrest over above, pls contact
@POLICENG_PCRRU"
Sequel to the development, the CP Lagos has been advised by
the Director of Public Prosecution of the state Ministry of Justice and
the Legal Department of the State Police
Command, Panti, Yaba with relevant
sections of the law as follows:
Section 134 (a) Criminal Law of Lagos state 2015 prohibits
any indecent act in any public place without lawful excuse. The law holds that
such person is liable on conviction to 2 years imprisonment.
Section 136 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state, 2015
provides that any person who commits any act of gross indecency with another
person in public commits an offence and liable on conviction to 3 years
imprisonment.
It must be noted that section 134 which deals with offences
against morality particularly section 134 (a) have it that indecent act in a
public place makes both parties engaging in the act liable to imprisonment for
2 years.
In the same vein, section 231 of the Criminal Code Act which
is a Federal law and applicable in states other than the northern states where
Penal Code is applicable also make Indecent Acts punishable.
Going forward, the authorities of the Lagos State Police
Command hereby declares that the assertion that sex in a car in a public place
is not a crime in Nigeria is misplaced as the provisions of the Criminal Law of
Lagos State prohibits such acts in public even if it is done with consent of
the other party
To this end, the Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal
wants Lagosians to be guided by relevant sections of the law
against such acts .
