BY AUSTIN UWADIAE
ASABA ( Delta State) : The family of a young man, Francis Chiazor arrested by the police in Agbor,Delta State on January 10,2016 for sodomy, has alleged that their son died as a result of police brutality.
An elder brother to the suspect, High Priest Nkem Chiazor said his brother was handcuffed, hung legs up and tortured by the police in Agbor. High Priest Chiazor alleged that the suspect who spent over a week in police custody without being charged to court, died as a result of the injuries he sustained during police interrogation.
He called on the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the suspect in police custody.
However, the police headquarters in Asaba have denied that the suspect was tortured to death.
The command while reacting to the allegation that the suspect died from injuries inflicted on him, said the process of interrogation did not involve torture.
Meanwhile, the police in its statement signed by the Command ‘s Public Relations Officer, ASP Collins Okon , said efforts are on to track down the deceased suspect’s fleeing partner identified as Ibrahim Rashiti.
It appealed to members of the public with any useful information that might lead to the arrest of the suspect to report to any nearest police station within and outside Delta State.
Same- sex marriage or relationship is a criminal offence and offenders are liable to serve between 10 to 14 years in prison.
Homosexuality and lesbianism are considered as taboo and strictly forbidden in Nigerian communities.
The traditional penalty in most communities include the offenders being paraded nude in public while being stoned by a frenzy mob. This ritual which is meant to appease the gods, has often led to the death of some suspects while countless others have been left traumatised
