The fight to stop lesbianism, gay, bisexual, Transgender, and all homosexuality, including same-sex relationships and Marriage, and other LGBTIQ-related activities takes a new turn as security agencies declared war on perpetrators across the Country with the establishment of “Say No To Same Sex Relationships and Marriage” launched in the Country with sub-offices across the 36 States.
Security Agencies, religious and traditional leaders, Civil Society Organizations, activists, youths, students, parents, and guidance have all frowned at the increasing rate of same-sex relationships and Marriages and the continued spread of LGBTIQ activities across the Country despite the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2014 promulgated laws that would punish offenders or those caught in the act with various prisons terms.
There have been several arrests, detention and prison sentences for offenders, and many more cases before the Court to determine the offence. However, youths and adults are still engaged in the terrible, shameless, and punishable act, not minding the outcome if caught. Many still believe they can go away with their nefarious act of homosexuality and outsmart the security agencies. Those with strong and stable influence and good financial backgrounds believed they could keep bribing and paying for their freedom.
The growing trend has become a concern for religious and traditional leaders, civil society, activists, lawyers, politicians, parents, and guidance alike. As such, security agencies have stepped up their activities to checkmate the shameless practice of LGBTIQ across the nation. Concerned Nigerians have commended the move as the right step towards the right direction.
Several arrests have been made across cities, communities and villages in the six geo-political zones in the Country in recent times, and some prominent names have been mentioned by those caught who are now in Police detention while others are facing trials in different Courts in Nigeria. This achievement sends a clear signal of the readiness and determination of the Federal Government to arrest the growing trend.
According to a local media report, the force headquarters in Benin City, through one of its sub-offices located in Okada Division, recently invaded the hideout of some top LGBTIQ activists who were said to be on the run and made arrests. An investigation is ongoing into their activities in LGBTIQ and their sponsor to ascertain the scope of their network, as many believe there is international support for the spread of LGBTIQ activities in Nigeria. One of the five members arrested, Ewan Nosa-Yaba, who was caught in the act in his RX350 Lexus, was a foundation member of the Benin Gay Movement, which later transformed into the Black Gay Movement when their former leader Ahusemere Ogbeide took over the leadership in January 2016.
Investigation revealed that Ogbeide began reforming the movement with his Western World mentality. He was on the verge of registering the Association with a coded name before he was arrested in 2017, and he jumped police bail. Many believed that the reform was attributed to the escalation of the movement’s activities, as Ogbeide thinks that the survival of the LGBTIQ movement in this hostile environment would depend on the change the movement pushes for; hence he continues with his radical push in promoting the group’s activities and idealogy in a diverse cultural society.
Since his escape, the police and other security forces have cracked down on most of their members. Recently, the Black Gay Movement, through its new leadership, Otasowie Gibson, gave the group a new direction of operations as they held an end-of-year party in Okada. He has since been declared wanted after the arrest of the five group members by the police in Okada.
The police and other security agents have seriously hit the LGBTIQ Community since the enactment of the anti-LGBTIQ laws. Hundreds of their members have been reportedly arrested and killed in different parts of the Country, including mob actions. There are also many unreported cases of killings and death of LGBTIQ members across various remote villages and Communities in the Country.
The media report that 53 were arrested in Zaira, the Northern part of the Country, for celebrating a gay wedding, and 11 were arrested after being accused of planning a lesbian wedding; Also, 57 were reported to be charged with a suspected gay initiation party in the Egbeda area of Lagos, another 42 suspected homosexual arrest was made again in Lagos with several other arrests widely reported in the last few years in Nigeria.
The unreported cases of killings and death of LGBTIQ members across various rural Communities and villages, like the death of Sylvester Isibor and Uyi Afuwa, who were said to have been burnt to death by their Community in Udo village after they were caught having sex, Omozuwa Albert-31 years and the first two gay couples of Iguobazuwa Village Mathias and Matthew Idurase, were said to be burned to death in October 2017. The death of Osaretin Odionwere in Ubiaja, Esan South and the death of one Anthony Efosa in Benin City, who was said to be seriously wounded by local anti-gay vigilantes members and eventually died before he could get medical care following his sexual activities with his partner Ogbeide, who is one of the brain and supporters of the Black Gay Movement and several others are too numerous to mention, as many other dead have not been recorded.
Again, Cecilia, a lesbian, was said to have been killed in her village after the Chief Priest in Ewu village alleged that she was responsible for the sudden death of her parents, who were involved in a motorcycle accident along the Benin Auchi road. While some are lucky to have escaped mob actions and police arrests, some jumped bail and have been declared wanted, while others are still operating secretly.
The family of Anthony Efosa has reportedly vowed to assist the police in getting Ogbeide as they claimed that he was instrumental to his membership of LGBTIQ and caused his death. Many still believe that his escape might have been compromised as the police would have done more to keep him in their custody, but his escape calls for questioning. Philip Okoro is another prominent LGBTIQ promoter in the East; Alex A. Danjuma is well known in the Northern part of the Country as an unconfirmed report says they still operate undercover.
Christiana Christopher, popularly known as Lady “C”, is another threat in the fight against LGBTIQ in Delta as she is prominent in the promotion of lesbianism across the City of Asaba; she claimed to be the mother and goddess of the river Nigeria; connecting girls and willing ladies to politicians, actors, film-makers and producers and directors who are lesbians as she gets financial compensation for drawing the connection. She was said to have escaped severally before being caught and beaten by some Community youth in Issele-Uku, Delta State.
Security Agencies following the development said his support for LGBTIQ and writing of several articles in defend of LGBTIQ activities, including the one titled “Nigeria’s LGBTIQ Community: Struggling For Recognition, Inclusion, And Safety In A Culturally Diverse Nation”, left no one in doubt that he is a member of the LGBTIQ and leader of the notorious Black Gay Movement.
After an in-depth investigation following several confessional statements implicating him, he was arrested and charged to Court, creating opportunities to prove his innocence against the allegations of his involvement in LGBTIQ issues. However, the movement’s former frontline leader, Ogbeide, escaped prosecution. He has nailed himself through his actions, given wide room for speculations, and asked security agencies or anyone with helpful information that will lead to his arrest to come forward with such handsome rewards await such action.
Investigation revealed that the police might have compromised his escape as he was first arrested after a bisexual man told him he was their leader and coordinator of the LGBTIQ Movement. “The police invaded his house in G.R. A., and he allegedly bribed the police and was later set free before a Community Anti-LGBTIQ vigilante group now caught him”. His family members still believe he is being persecuted and framed because of his idealism and fight against bad governance and corruption in Nigeria.
Security agencies are still working tirelessly to arrest Ahusemere Ogbeide, as his whereabouts are yet unknown since his escape in 2017. Two years after, his imprint is still being felt in the LGBTIQ Community as it was said to be an enabler in the Community, fighting against the repressive treatment of LGBTIQ members and its supporters. The radical reform he initiated in the LGBTIQ movement before he was caught and later escaped is still beneficial. The recent arrests were made by the police simultaneously in Warri and Benin City, where more than 15 people were in the police net; most of them confessed to the police that he was the former leader and sponsor of LGBTIQ activities of the Black Gay Movement.
Many still hold the firm belief that he was the one who radicalized Prince Joe Iroghama Edohen, his former secretary and god-son, the first grandson of the Edohen family, who became a rebellion and broke the palace rules of the Udo Kingdom and courageously came out as gay before his arrest in April 2013 and was one of those instrumental in his escape from police custody, which later led to the death of his mother. The young gay artist and activist who fought against the traditional rules that held down the LGBTIQ Community in Udo Village and town were subsequently banned and banished from the palace of Udo Kingdom.
Since security agencies had vowed to win the war against LGBTIQ just as they won the fight against kidnapping when they arrested the kingpin Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, who held sway for years collecting ransom in dollars and living a costly lifestyle until he was smoked out and arrested by the police; many of the public hope that there will be a record high of arrests of LGBTIQ members and supporters across the nation.
There have been several protests in Benin City recently against the spread of LGBTIQ activities in the State after traditional and religious leaders voiced their concerns about the spread of LGBTIQ activities. The former leader and his reformer groups and supporters have been said to be targeted for elimination. They threaten society’s culture, tradition, and regional beliefs. The anti-LGBTIQ vigilantes’ group who arrested the former LGBTIQ leader questioned the rationale behind his release and escaped in the custody of the police. Most have vowed to do justice to any LGBTIQ caught in this part of the Country.
