Community Excommunicates Youths Engaging in Same-sex Act, Reports to State Police Command

The elders of Owanta traditional community in Delta State have expelled some youths of the community whom they suspected to have been practicing same-sex acts in the community, which is highly forbidden in the traditional community.

The elders stated that after banishing them from the community for the alleged act, the suspects would also be handed over to the police for further prosecution, as “the act is against the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria.

The elders of the community told local newsmen that they learnt that the suspected homosexual youths “had practiced homosexuality before while they were in the secondary school” and that they still have “sexual urge for both male and female sexes.”

One of the elders in the community, who spoke on behalf of others, Pa Johnson Eluma, disclosed that they had reported the matter to the state Police Command in order to carry out a swift arrest of the suspects. He disclosed that among those caught in the act were Innocent Iwegbu, 24; Chukwuma Iweka, 31; Progress Chinoyen Nelson, 24; Sunday Abiamuwe, 33; Victor Omola, 25, among others at large.

Homosexuality is highly prohibited in Nigeria mostly in traditional communities where deities are still being worshiped. Same-sex act in Nigeria is illegal. The law of the country imposes 14 years imprisonment for anyone involved in homosexuality. There are no gay rights in the country, as well as many other African countries.

The community has vowed that after the police have apprehended them, a cleansing would be carried out, adding that while the police prosecute them according to the Same-sex Act provision in the constitution, they will be expelled from the community “for committing sacrilege against the gods of the land. They will be prosecuted according to the law of Nigeria, while we will do the traditional rite. They cannot escape it.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident, saying they have set machinery in place to apprehend the fleeing gay men, “who will be investigated and treated according to the law of the land.”

The state Police command in a statement made available to journalists on behalf of the state Police Commissioner, Ari Muhammed Ali, at the police headquarters in Asaba, the state capital, by the PPRO, said the incident was reported by the elders of the Owanta community, explaining that the suspects were caught in the act, “knowing that it is a crime to do so in our society. They will be prosecuted according to the law.

He said: “The state Police Command has declared some youths of Owanta in Delta State wanted. Any person or group of persons with useful and actionable information as to the whereabouts of the wanted persons should report to the nearest police station in the state.”

However, when journalists visited the community, the parents of the youths who are now wanted suspects, expressed shock that they couldn’t believe that their children were involved in such an ‘abominable’ act, lamenting that their children are humane and humble easy-going people who could not hurt a fly, let alone getting involved in a crime against God, man and the law.

However, a source in the village, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it was an open secret that those declared wanted started practicing same-sex acts as a joke, adding that no one could have believed that they took it seriously. “They have really offended the gods of our land, it is a taboo, and something must be done to atone for the stupid act.”