In Lagos, Nigeria, 28 adults and 12 minors were arrested on Saturday, July 29th for allegedly engaging in gay sex. The adults were arraigned before the Yaba Magistrate Court and the minors the before the Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court.
The defendants who are all males, were arrested on Saturday by the police officers from the Owode Onirin Division of the Lagos State Police inside a hotel in the area.
According to Vanguard, they were arraigned separately on a one-count charge.
The criminal charge read in part: “On or about 29th July, 2017, at Vintage Hotel, No. 999 Ikorodu Road/Toyin Close, Weigh Bridge, Owode Onirin, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did engage in gay activities by permitting male persons to have canal knowledge of themselves against the order of nature and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
The defendants who are between the ages of 18 and 27 pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.
Their lawyers Ehiko Onoche and S.M Oladele urged the court to admit them to bail of which the prosecution team led by Adetutu Oshinusi from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice did not oppose.
Oshinusi however urged the Court to direct the defendants to report at the Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA) for monitoring and Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) for rehabilitation.
Chief Magistrate Adewale Ojo granted the prosecution’s request and also granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum adding that one of the sureties must be a relative of the defendant, and the other within the court’s jurisdiction.
They must also present evidence that they are regular tax payers.
The arraignment of the minors took place in a closed-session before Magistrate Segun Elias of the Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court.
Nigerians and Africans in the Diaspora however, condeming this move, saying this isn’t what the government should be focusing on right now but however should focus on more important issues. What are your take on this?
Photo Credit: Lagos State Government
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