WE’RE NOT GAY, SUSPECTS INSIST
Emmanuel Ukudolo l Monday, August 27, 2018
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Not less than 57 men suspected to be homosexuals have been arrested in Lagos. According to the Nigeria Police Force(NPF), they were arrested at a gathering in Kelly Ann Hotel where most of them were to be initiated into the act of homosexuality.
At press briefing in Lagos, Commissioner for Police, Mr. Edgal Imohimi said his men swooped on them based on information from members of the public.
“Yesterday 26/08/2018 at about 0030 hours, intelligence gathered revealed that some youths (males) will be initiated into a Gay/Homosexual Club between 0100 hours and 0200 hours, at Kelly Ann Hotel/ Event Centre, No. 3-7 Adenrele Street, Egbeda, an action contrary to section 1 (1) of Same Sex Marriage Act 2014”, he said.
He said that operatives led by DPO Shasha and DPO Idimu stormed the venue at 0200 hours. “On arrival, young men numbering about eighty (80) were met in a hall taking different types of drinks including banned substance like Tramadol, Shisha laced with substances suspected to be Marijuana (IGBO) etc.
“As soon as they sighted the police, they ran into different directions. However, the team arrested fifty seven (57) of them”, he said, adding that
investigation into the case is still ongoing.
However, under interrogation, all of those arrested denied being homosexuals, some claimed to be students that they were in the hotel for birthday.
Speaking on the arrest, Wealth Olasunkanmi, a 25 year old graduate of Mass communication Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye said it was not an initiation but a birthday party.
“It was a birthday party and majority of us don’t know one another. I was invited by my friend Muyiwa for the party, and we were not only guys in the party, few ladies were with us and other ladies were in the hotel rooms getting dressed for the party. Since it was a party, a social gathering, there were lots of males than females”.
“The police just barged in and arrested people, I was outside the hall buying a drink when I was arrested. They also arrested few ladies but they let go of the ladies. The police didn’t allow us know our offence until we reached the police station yesterday. At first, the police told us that they found some illegal drugs with us such as shisha, tramadol and others but those that owned them came out and claimed possession of the items, it is not a general thing.
“The also accused us of being homosexuals, I am not one, I went there to party. They also accused us of being initiated but no initiation material was founded with us or at the venue”, he further explained.
Samuel Rotimi, a 22-year old student of mass communications, Yaba said he was paying his gate pass when the policemen stormed the venue. ” It was a birthday party and there were ladies there too, we are not gays”.
James Brown, a 20 year old man, who is also one of the suspects stated that “I went to perform at the party, I went there to work and get paid. The party was on Saturday and it is meant to be overnight. I was arrested and since then I have not been abl to take my drugs which is for medical reasons”.
For Smart Jones, he was just out to catch fun on Saturday night and got to know that there were lots of activities going on in the hotel. According to him, to his greatest surprise, police came an arrested people.
“I am not gay and I don’t know any of them, it was even when we got to the police station that I got to know but it was a birthday party”, he explained.
Another suspect, Daniel Sokari, a 23-year old man said he was in Lagos for a beauty show.
“I came for a pageant, Mr tourism Nigeria that held at Lekki. I left there at 6pm, there was traffic due to the Third Mainland Bridge closure, we took alternative route which was a long tour that was why I got to the hotel late to lodge. I live in Rivers state and only came for the show. I was at the reception when the police came and they told me to lie down which I gladly did since I knew I had not committed any crime but I was accused of being a gay”. “All efforts to explain to the policeand show them the evidence of my invitation to the pageantry and pictures proved abortive”, he added.
