At least One Hundred suspected gay and lesbians have been arrested by the Delta State Police Command during a same-sex marriage ceremony at Teebolus Hotel, off Refinery Road, Ekpan in Warri town of the state.
Penpushing reports that the Command Public Relations Officer Bright Edafe while briefing journalists during the parade of the suspects put the number of those arrested at 67, but sources said they were more than that.
The police spokesperson said police operatives had intercepted a cross-dresser who confessed that he was a member of a gay club and was on his way to attend a gay marriage ceremony, who later led the operatives to the venue ceremony.
Penpushing further reports that Edaife explained that the gay marriage ceremony was for a gay couple identified as Daniel Pius (groom) and 22-year-old Maxwel Ohwonohwo (bride), adding on arrival of police detectives to the venue the members took to their heels
‘As the operatives arrived at the hotel, the gay members immediately took to flight, scampering in different directions. The policemen chased and arrested 67 suspects, both male and female’ Edafe stated.
Penpushing also reports that the police said a 23-year-old suspect Abel Daniel, admitted that, under the influence of alcohol, he had sex through his anus with a male suspect who is at large, adding exhibits recovered from them include tramadol, other hard drugs, and gay marriage ceremonial dresses.
‘The suspects and exhibits are in custody and efforts are intensified to ensure the arrest of the fleeing members for possible prosecution. The Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, states unequivocally that Delta State is no place for any sort of same-sex relationship; that marriage is valid only when it is contracted between a man and a woman’, Edaife said.
‘He further warns that explicit or implicit public show of amorous relationships between people of the same sex is prohibited in the state and that deviants would be brought to book in accordance with Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013.”
Penpushing reports that homosexual relationships are illegal in Nigeria, having it that anti-gay law, enacted in January 2014 by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, stipulates a 14-year prison term for anyone convicted of having sex with members of the same sex.
The Nigerian government, it is recalled put the law to the test for the first time in December 2019 when 47 men arrested by the police in a hotel in Lagos the previous year were arraigned in court, accused of publicly displaying affection for members of the same sex.
Penpushing further reports that during the trial all the 47 accused pleaded not guilty and were granted bail by the court, while a federal judge later struck out the charges against the men because of a lack of diligent prosecution by the police.
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