By Osadolor Timothy
Benin City: The Nigerian Police Force, Edo State Command has invited a former political aide to the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister for her role in the beauty pageant and fashion show organised in the Etete area in GRA, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
The beauty pageant was alleged and discovered to be an event organised for LGBTQ+ in Benin City, Edo State between 30th of November through 1st of December 2019.
According to report, some of those arrested at the venue of the contest confessed to the crime and also implicated a political aide and former PA to Former FCT Minister during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to be one of the organisers and sponsor of the pageant.
According to police investigation, the fashion event was organised and sponsored by Mrs. Olufunmilayo Hannah Aigbomian a former political aide and CEO of New Edenn House of Avanti a platform she uses to promotes LGBTQ+ activities across the different States of Nigeria.
Intelligent report indicates that such abominable and shameless act would take place in that location in Benin City and the police began investigation and monitoring of the area for about two weeks before raiding the venue of the show on the second day of the alleged beauty pageant.
Speaking to journalist after raiding the venue of the beauty show, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area said his men from the force headquarter numbering over 20 stormed the hideout and arrested most people who participated in the beauty pageant and discovered they are members of LGBTQ+ from different States of Southern Nigeria.
He noted that one of the arrested lady who dressed like a man said that the show was organised for cross-dressers, and not LGBTQ+, where a man will appear like a woman and women dressed like men and that is the beauty of the show and denied being an LGBTQ+ pageant show. She added that it was a beauty fashion show for cross-dressers, rather than for lesbians, gays and transgenders as the police is trying to justify their arrest.
It was gathered that the fashion show that was held in an hotel (name withheld) was said to have been sponsored by one of their leader Mrs. Olufunmilayo Hannah Aigbomian, who also chaired the event and alleged to have provided the venue and other logistic support to ensure the success of the event.
The DPO said “The operation was successful as my men blocked both the entrance and exits door of the venue (name withheld) which has guest rooms behind. No gun or tear gas was fired and the operation successful with the arrest of over 20 person, out of which three fainted, still the police was not distracted and they made sure the arrest was effective and successful.
“While leading those arrested to our waiting police van some of them began to make trouble, resisting arrest and it led to few minutes confusion of shouting and struggling which resulted to the escape of four persons, while one was later rearrested.
“The police later discovered that one of the biggest suspect, and a political aide Mrs. Olufunmilayo Hannah Aigbomian along with a taxi driver Mr. Austin Osifo Agho who is also a notorious homosexual and understood the area escaped from the scene to a yet to be identified location”.
The DPO said investigation into the matter has commenced as the police has invited the CEO of New Edenn House of Avanti Mrs. Olufunmilayo Hannah Aigbomian, that sponsored the event to appear at the police headquaters in Benin City to explain her participations and roles in the fashion event program; while the notorious homosexual driver Mr. Austin Osifo Agho was also asked to report to the force headquarters.
