Police Arrest 57 Suspected Homosexuals In Lagos

The police in Lagos police said they arrested 57 men for alleged homosexual activity at Kelly Ann Hotel/Event Centre in Egbeda Lagos, on Sunday morning.

Imohimi Edgal, the state police commissioner, said police officers acting upon an information provided by a reliable source, stormed the hotel at 2.am.

"On arrival, young men numbering about 80 were met in a hall taking different types of drinks including banned substances suspected to be Marijuana," Mr Edgal added..

"When the men sighted the police, they took to their heels but the police already captioned them and arrested 57 of them."

One of the arrested suspects, Wealth Olasunkanmi, 25 graduate of  Mass Communication from Olabisi Onabanjo University, told journalists they were attending a birthday party. "It was a birthday party and majority of us don't know one another. We were not only guys in the party, few ladies were with us and other ladies were in the hotel rooms getting dressed for the party as well."

He continued; "Since it was a party, a social gathering, there were lots of males than females. The police just barged in and arrested people, I was outside the hall buying a drink when I was arrested. They also arrested few ladies but they let go of the ladies. The police didn't allow us know our offence until we reached the police station.

At first, the police told us that they found some illegal drugs with us such as shisha, tramadol and others but those that owned this came out and claimed possession of it, it is not a general thing. They also accused us of being homosexuals, I am not one, I went there to party. They also accused us of being initiated but no initiation material was founded with us or at the venue."

Another suspect, Daniel Sokari, 23, said he had come to the hotel to lodge on his way back from a pageant, "Mr Toursim Nigeria," which held in Lekki.

"I live in Rivers State and only came for the pageantry. I was at the reception when the police came and they told me to lie down which I gladly did and since I knew I had not committed any crime. But I was accused of being a gay."