Six men arrested in Abia on suspicion of being gay due to be charged with breaching Same Sex Marriage Act

MEN of the Abia State Police command have arrested six gays in the commercial hub of Aba claiming that they were engaged in homosexual activity after converging on the city with the aim of having a wild orgy.

Anthony Ogbizi, the Abia State police commissioner, paraded the suspects yesterday, pointing out that they were arrested by security agents in Aba. Arrested at City Gobal Hotel in Aba at about 2am, they were identified as Fred Ndubuisi, Anyanwu Chidera, Kamsiriochukwu Onuoha, Anderson Emeruwa, Sampson Nwadike and Nnadi Promise.

According to Mr Ogbizi, the suspects were nabbed following a distress call from the manger of the hotel, who alleged that they were seen kissing one another at the bar by an employee, who reported the incident to the management. It was further gathered that the manger went to one of the hotel rooms, where two of the suspects had checked-in earlier and discovered that they were six in the room, romancing and kissing one another.

In the police report, it was revealed that the suspects were interrogated and it was discovered that they were members of a gang who came into Abia from nearby states to engage in homosexual activities. They, however, denied committing the crime, saying that they were in Aba for the birthday party of one of their friends, Mr Ndubuisi, adding that their families were not aware that they were arrested.

One of the suspects, Mr Chidera, who claimed to be an undergraduate from the Imo State University, Owerri, said they were all in one room because they were told that the category of room they asked for was not available. He added that they ended up sharing a room to save costs.

Mr Chideria said: “I arrived the hotel at about 6pm and I asked my friend to book for a room for me. The hotel management said we should pay N5,000 for a room and we could afford it, so, we decided to manage that one room.

“After drinking at the hotel bar, we went to the room to change our clothes and it was at that time that we heard a knock on the door and when we opened the door, the manager started asking why we were six in the room. After explaining to him, he said they don’t allow more that three persons in a room and that was how he accused us of practising homosexuality in the room, there was nothing like kissing or making love in the room and we are not gays.”

Mr Ndubuisi, who claimed to be a hair stylist, also stated that he only invited his friends for his birthday party and lodged them in the hotel, adding that they did not indulge in any homosexual act. He added: “I invited my friends for my birthday and I wanted to pay for two rooms but we couldn’t because the rooms were filled up, that was why we were in one room.”

Mr Ogbizi, however, said the hotel management would bring its evidence against the suspects, who, he said, would be charged to court. Nigeria has very Draconian anti-gay laws and anyone found guilty of committing a homosexual act can face up to 14 years in prison under the country's Same Sex Marriage Act of 2014.