IKWERE (Port-Harcourt): A Civil Rights lawyer yesterday narrowly escaped being killed by some suspected angry mob from Ikwere Community in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
The human rights defender, Paul Osugba according to sources had often escaped from similar attacks until the recent incident which almost claimed his life.
According to reports, Osugba had been defending suspected homosexual perpetrators who have been facing prosecution under the anti-gay law in courts.
lt would be recalled that the Nigeria Anti-Gay Law forbids same-sex affairs in the country, as an offence that is punishable in the Criminal code of the land.
However, the lawyer who had often solicited cases involving homosexual persons was unlucky yesterday when he was given the worst ill-treatment of his life by the angry youths from Ikwere Community, but was however whisked away by passers-by.
The situation further worsened for Osugba when the community leaders and youths did not spare anytime in mobilising to his resident where they set his residence and other property ablaze.
Some of the sympathisers, who spoke with our Correspondent yesterday, however lamented the situation as they disclosed that the Civil Rights Crusader had earlier reported the attack on him at the Police Station where he was detained at the custody before being arraigned at the Port-Harcourt Magistrate Court.
The sympathisers who could not hold back their tears as they went in group to speak with our reporter, described the way and manner the security agents manhandled the lawyer, as well as twisted Osugba’s issue as ‘conspiracy in disguise’.
It was therefore gathered that Osugba had often been subjected to torture over his said avowed commitments to defend litigants whose rights had been trampled upon, as well as those practicing homosexuals and lesbianism within his community.
This had often infuriated the elders of the community, who claimed that the practice was a taboo and abomination likely to impinge plagues on their land.
As at the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of Paul Osugba was unknown.
