A 29-year-old gay suspect apprehended recently while his ‘lover’ escaped has confessed to having four ‘sexual partners,’ including the fleeing man who he identified as Yusuf Akeem, about 31 years old, in Agbede, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

It was gathered that the suspect Leonard Bashiru and his partner now at large were caught red handed behind a stationed truck at Agbede town along Auchi-Lokoja Expressway on Friday, December 15, 2023.

Police sources hinted our reporter that the suspect who is now being detained and interrogated at Auchi police divisional headquarters had admitted the crime in his written statement as he also mentioned three additional names of persons involved in same-sex practice with him.

He was said to have met Yusuf Akeem along the expressway few hours before he was apprehended as both of them have wives but they are habitual bisexuals.

The fleeing Yusuf Akeem is said to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company (name withheld) specialised in metal works in Auchi town and its environs.

It was further learnt that a truck driver who was resting inside his truck unnoticed by the suspects spotted them and raised the alarm instantly.

The truck driver had earlier sighted a vehicle dropped the suspects about 7:10pm as he became suspicious when they cuddled each other beside his long vehicle.

A team of policemen on patrol was said to have rescued the suspect from residents who beat him black and blue with varying degree of injuries inflicted on him while his ‘lover’ fled the scene by the whiskers.

Confirming the incident, the spokesman, Edo Police command DSP Chidi Nwabuzor said intelligence officers were on the trail of Yusuf Akeem who he assured would be arraigned in court along with Leonard Bashiru.

Asked the identities of the three additional gay lovers, the police spokesman said that “releasing their names and identities would jeopardize our investigation”.

DSP Nwabuzor maintained that intelligence reports revealed that high-profile Nigerians are members of various gay syndicates operating in the state and beyond.

He however advised members of the public to desist from administering jungle justice on suspects.

DSP Nwabuzor explained that the suspects risk 14 years imprisonment if found guilty of the offence.

It will be recalled that neighbouring Delta State Police Command had last August arrested over 100 suspected homosexuals carrying out a wedding ceremony in a hotel in the state.

Dependable records revealed that since signing the anti-gay law in 2014, members of the public and Nigeria security agencies have launched a heavy clampdown on people suspected to be homosexuals even as many have been administered jungle justice.

In December 2020, the Lagos State Police Command arrested 10 individuals suspected of homosexual activities in a brothel located in the Okota area of the state.

Earlier in 2018, the police in the state paraded 57 men for alleged homosexual activities at Kelly Ann Hotel in Egbeda.

In January 2022, eight alleged homosexuals were arrested in a hotel in Isolo, Lagos, for alleged gay activities. 19 young people were in 2022 arrested in Kano for allegedly attending a same-sex wedding.