Homosexuality: Hoodlums attack suspect's house after release by police

Ikorodu

Violence erupted yesterday in the Gberigbe area of Ikorodu community, Lagos when some hoodlums numbering about 30 attacked the home of a suspected homosexual. 

According to an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, the hoodlums who came on motorcycles and minivans were armed with dangerous weapons including locally made guns and machetes. The target of the attack, according to our source, was a man who lives in the community and was accused of being gay. 

The man whose identity could not be immediately verified as at the time of filing this report was said to have been caught having sex with another man of northern origin at a hotel (names withheld) in the neighboring street. Local security men were said to have raced to the hotel after being tipped off by an unnamed person with information on the forbidden act. Upon their arrest, the suspects were reportedly handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution. 

However, information was said to have reached the youths in the community that the suspects have been released by the police after five days in detention. This, our source said, angered the local security men who arrested the suspects initially before they were handed over to the police. It was gathered that the aggrieved youths mobilized and headed to the residence of one of the suspects who resides in the community. 

"It was as if a war has broken out", said our source while narrating the sad event to our correspondent. "Everyone ran to safety because we didn't know what was happening. Gunshots were fired sporadically that at a point I thought it was cultists that have invaded our community. But when they started shouting the name of Alhaji Moshood (the suspected gay), my mind became relaxed" explained our source. 

It was reported that the suspect popularly known within the community as Alhaji Moshood was the target of the attack. However, mother luck was on his side as neither him nor any member of his family was at home. "In annoyance that they did not meet him at home, the hoodlums vandalized the house and destroyed many items within their sights in the man's compound", our source continued. 

According to our source, the hoodlums came with an intention to kill the suspect as they kept calling on him to surrender himself to them. They were reported to have accused the police of bias and said if the police could not do justice, they would take the law into their hands and do the necessary justice. 

Our findings further revealed that the other man said to have been caught and arrested with Alhaji Moshood has since his release by the police returned to the northern city where he came from while the whereabouts of Alhaji Moshood and his family members remain unknown. 

It should be noted that same sex relationship is a criminal offence in Nigeria in particular, and most African countries in general.