By Edeki Igafe
Sixty seven suspected homosexuals have been arrested during a gay wedding which they tagged, “all white party” at a popular hotel off Refinery Road in Ekpan Community of Uvwie Local Government Area, LGA of Delta State.
The Police had conducted a raid on the hotel after a male cross-dresser was intercepted in the community last Sunday.
The cross dresser who initially claimed to be an actor later confessed that he was going to attend a gay marriage ceremony being organized by his club after police interrogation, Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Abass, told journalists on Tuesday at the Ekpan Police Station.
The Police Commissioner who was represented, by the spokesperson for the command, DSP Bright Edafe, said the confession led to a raid of the hotel where some suspected gay members were holding the gay marriage ceremony during which the 67 suspects were arrested.
“Acting on intelligence gathered, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ekpan division, CSP Aliyu Shaba, raided the hotel where some suspected gay members were holding a gay marriage ceremony,” he said.
Abass said that the suspects upon sighting the police took to their heels, saying however, that the operatives were able to apprehend 67 of them
He vowed to prosecute the suspects in line with Nigeria’s anti-gay law which prohibited same-sex marriage in the country.
“Same sex marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013 kicked against gay in Nigeria. It is a grievous office.
“We cannot copy the culture of the Western world and we must follow the rules of our land. Anti-gay law has been passed in Nigeria, no resident of the land has the right to go against the laws of the land.
“I can guarantee that they will be charged to court. We are not taking it lightly. It is a clear case, though, they are still presumed innocent until proven otherwise by the competent court,” he said.
The CP urged parents to monitor their wards closely in order to know the type of people they associated with.
He said that the arrest and subsequent arraigning the suspects in court would served as a warning to others who may want to indulge in the illicit act.
He said that items recovered at the venue included: one codeine bottle, three cups of refined Canadian loud, five sachets of SK, one sachet of tramadol, four tablets of molly drug, one crusher and gay marriage ceremonial dresses.
Speaking, one of the suspect, Daniel Pius said he was a fashion designer and not a gay.
“I am not a gay, I am a fashion designer, I do makeup and other things that relate to female attires,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
EDI/ABI
Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa
