LGBTQ: Rights activist cries out as mob clubs homosexual to death, one declared wanted

Ayodele Olatunji, Lagos

A human rights activist of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer community (LGBTQ), Mr Bello Umar has alleged endless persecution of the LGBTQ community in Nigeria.

He spoke in reaction to a recent incident in Lagos State, where a mob clubbed to death a suspected homosexual.

Addressing journalists, Umar lamented that the members of LGBTQ community had become endangered species in the country. He recalled what he described as the gruesome murder of a young man in Lagos State by an angry mob.

According to him, “on the 12th day of October, 2024, angry youths in the Festac town, Lagos clubbed to death a young man who was identified as Mr Paul Eze.

“Eyewitness confirmed that Mr Paul Eze who is native of nnewi town in anambra state identified his lover as Mr Godswill Chukwuma who hails from Nnobi in anambra state .

“While Chukwuma managed to escape from the balcony of the house before the mob could get hold of him, Paul was not that lucky.

“Mr Paul was clubbed to death before policemen could arrive at the scene.

“Mr Godswill Chukwuma has been declared wanted by the police.”

“Just last month , a similar incident happened; this time it was Mr Johnson who called the police on his wife after he caught her in bed with her female lover.

“Mr Johnson explained that he had long suspected his wife as the rumours about her keep getting to him so he decided to pay more attention on her and he was not wrong as his suspicion turned out to be reality.”

He urged that there should be respect for the rights of members of the LGBTQ community, who he said could be found everywhere in the society, among husbands, wives, brothers and sisters.

Same sex relationship is prohibited by the Nigerian laws and has a penalty of 14 years imprisonment.

Some of the LGBTQ members have also been victims of jungle justice.