An appeal has gone to the Inspector General of Police to Wade into alleges intimidation, harrassment and probably untime death by his officers and men.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Some persons, who claimed to have been illegally arrested and detained cried out from the police detention over unfounded allegations, describing their arrest and detention as a tampering on their fundamental human right as Nigeria citizens.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the detainees, Chibuzo Akpan, Akinola Michael, Michael Samuel, Ismail Abdulkadri, Chris Nwabuzo, and Sunday Adebayo, among others, Alphonsus Ikegwuonu Nwachukwu, a 37 year old graduate of Industrial Chemistry, accused the security agency of alleged intimidation and harrassment over their involvement in same sex marriage.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He spoke at a news conference shortly after their release from B Division police station, Makurdi, where they were allegedly being detained over alleged involvement in same sex marriage.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nwachukwu, a native of oko village ideani in Anambra State, who is the manager of Great Johny Phonso and Company Limited in Makurdi, Benue State of Nigeria, called on Benue state government to save them from security agencies, and untimely death.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“We are members of Lgbtq in Makurdi, Benue state in Nigeria, a club comprises of professionals and responsible citizens.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“For me as a person and human, I am a bisexual human creature, meaning I can have sex with either a male or a female, I realise this right from my childhood age of 16.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Most of us are graduate of St Charles Special Science School, Onitsha for our Senior Secondary School education from 2001 to 2004, where I was the class captain.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Many of us later gained admission into various universities, but for me, it was Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka in Anambra State, in October 2006, to study Industrial Chemistry, where I met several students in same sex relationship.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“We all formed a clandestine known as the Rainbow Club; which is basically for LGBTQ personality.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“I had several friends from both sexes during my stays in the university, and we both stayed in ZIK hall Box room from our year 3 to final year as we are both in same department in the university.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Staying in the same room, (box room) gives us opportunity to engage in discussions about sexual activity without hindrance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“We attended one of our club members wedding ceremony in a hotel owned by another club member (City Bay, located around Savannah roundabout, High Level, Makurdi, Benue State precisely on 30\/12\/2023.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“It was during the wedding ceremony that the police busted and arrested us, but were later released on bail, with the instructions that we must all report at the police station on 04\/01\/2024 for further investigation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“The wedding was between two club members Chekwube Okeke and Raphel Okonkwo, where 45 club members were arrested, including myself.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It could be recalled that the long existing Nigeria Criminal Code of Chapter 42, Section 214 states that, “any person who has carnal knowledge of another person against the order of nature, or permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of a felony and liable to imprisonment for fourteen (14) years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“In 2014, the then President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan signed into law the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2014 which provides jail terms of up to 10 years for homosexuals and also punishes people who register, operate or participate in same sex clubs, societies and organizations, or directly makes a public show of same sex relationships in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Because of these laws, the vast majority homophobic population of Nigeria have been emboldened to hunt down and lynch real or perceived LGBTQ people.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“LGBTQ folks like myself live in constant fear knowing this might be my fate any day. I feel I have been stripped of my human rights to be who I am without fear of fatalities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“It is on this premise that am unjustly persecuted, hence crying out for protection from untimely death, imprisonment, punishment and discrimination from the police.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“I therefore call on the Inspector General of Police and Benue state government to save me from untimely death, humiliation, among several other punishment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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