John Omohuede
The fate of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenders, (LGBT) in Nigeria is hanging in the balance as the clamp down on them by the authorities has increased especially in Edo and Delta axis of the country.
Our investigations have revealed that hardly a week goes past without a reported case of LGBT in the country with Edo and Delta recording more cases. It is either the police are making arrests, declaring LGBT members wanted or removing dead bodies of LGBT members mobbed to death by irate youths.
Same sex relationship is criminalized in Nigeria under the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2013. The traditional institutions in Nigeria are also strongly against same sex relationships due to shared cultural beliefs and practices among them with varying punishments including death sentence in some cases.
For instance, the Benin people of the ancient Benin Kingdom, abhor activities of LGBT because they are considered as serious abomination to the gods and people of the land. Therefore, such taboos must not be allowed to occur in Benin land for public health and safety.
As a result of this, many LGBT members have been killed through the means of jungle justice while several others have narrowly escaped death but not without serious injuries inflicted on them by the locals who happily beat them up in the belief that they are doing community service.
"It is a serious abomination for people of the same sex to engage in love affairs in Benin land. Our gods forbid that and if anyone is caught doing it, the offenders are required to atone for the abominable act by paying heavy fines to cleanse the land of the pollution and atrocities they committed against the gods of the land. If they are unable to do so, they are banished permanently from setting their feet on Benin land again.
"This is so to forestall avoidable and untimely death of many innocent persons especially children in the land. If any house owner tries to cover up and he or she is caught, his or her house, including all the property in the house must be burnt down. Again, anyone who knows about such illicit love affairs between two same sex persons and refuses to expose them, the gods of the land will visit such person and inflict him or her with incurable disease", said a prominent Benin Chief Omosigho Adoror
Little wonder therefore, that a middle aged man Kennedy Osayande Edosomwan may not set his feet on Benin land in a long time to come following his alleged involvement in same sex relationship that has now gone viral.
Our investigation revealed that the said Kennedy is presently on the run. He was allegedly caught red handed making love to a fellow man, in the Uselu axis of Benin City.
He was said to have been found entangled with his old gay lover, named Udom Uzofade in an after party sex rump in a hotel in the neighborhood on Friday December 15, 2023.
The duo was said to have been captured by the vigilant youths in the area after moans suggestive of an ongoing sex rump filtered from their room prompting the hotel attendants to inform the local vigilance group.
They were reportedly subjected to serious torture before providence smiled on them as they miraculously escaped with their lives but not without bodily harms.
Their escape not withstanding, investigation further revealed that Kennedy Osayande Edosomwan and his co traveller Udom Uzofade have been declared wanted by the Edions (elders) of Uselu Community. They are wanted to go and perform some traditional rituals meant to cleanse the land of the abominable act to prevent dire consequences on innocent people.
The gay lovers are also expected to present the atonement items which include, a live spotless white cow, 1,000 cowrie shells, seven bottles of palm oil, 100 pieces of kolanuts, 14 cloves of alligator pepper, one cartoon of dry gin, 200 tubers of red yam, white native hen, etc.
Meanwhile, the gay exponents who are said to be in hiding, could not go to the police to report their ordeals in the hands of the natives because same sex relationship has been criminalized in Nigeria under the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013.
The offence on conviction attracts 14 years jail term.
As at the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of the two gay lovers remain unknown as sources have it that the elders await the presentation of the items for atonement.
Post a Comment