My life in danger over gay brother’s escape from country, man, 47 cries out

A 47 year old man, Mr. Taiwo Odias, has cried out for protection over what he described as threat to his life and that of his family over allegation that he aided his elder brother, who is alleged to be gay to escape justice, by running out of the country.

Taiwo Odias, whose immediate elder brother, Harris Odias, a well known gay rights activists in the country prior to the passage of the anti-gay law in Nigeria, said he has been facing series of harassment from various quarters

since his brother escaped from the country in 2015, adding that his worries increased lately following threat messages from unknown persons demanding to know the where about of his brother or he be ready to face the consequences.

Odias said his brother, Harris, escaped from the country after two attempts by persons suspected to be security agents to abduct him shortly after the passage of the anti-gay law,

adding that he, Taiwo was initially picked and asked to produce is brother until he was able to prove that he had no hand in his escape, but that since then he has not really known peace as those bent on getting his brother have been threatening him.

It will be recalled that in 2015, there was a criminalisation of same sex marriage by the Nigerian Parliament. The law offers an offender a 14-year imprisonment with hard labour without an option of fine.

As a result, the Gay Community in Nigeria and activists have all been under serious scrutiny and harassment by security agencies due to their sexual orientation.

And as such, anyone caught in the act are subjected to arrest and if found wanting stand a chance of being sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.

As a result, Harris Odias, who was said to have been declared wanted on the 3rd of March, 2015 by security agencies for being Gay and involved in promoting Gay right in his community, escaped the country to avoid arrest.

Since then his family members who are well known in the community where he was resident in 11A, Babatunde Ladega Street, Omole, Lagos, have been under threat from both security agencies,

community associations who claim that they have been told to produce him and even unknown persons who have been threatening their lives.

Taiwo Odias is now asking security agencies, especially the police to provide protection for them from these unknown persons as they themselves do not know the where about of their brother, Harris,

who is an adult and able to take his decision without consulting his family members, including decisions about his sexual orientation.