Tension in Ugbor community as angry youths disperse gay meeting, some key actors arrested.
Tension escalated at Ecstatic IFDA Hotel located at Nosa Edugie Street, Ugbor Quarters Benin City, on Monday, February 10, 2025 when some persons alleged to belong to a gay club (homosexuals) were attacked by angry youths from the community and disrupted their illegal assembly.
The secret meeting at the hotel, eye witnesses say became a matter of public knowledge when other visitors to the hotel were barred from getting close to the meeting venue thus raising suspicions and inquest by the youths.
The unusual atmosphere in the hotel, it was learnt prompted concerned staffs to draw the attention of the community youths to the gathering of the said homosexual practitioners who upon arriving the scene started beating up every one in sight.
The police from Ugbor Divisional Police Station later came to the scene and arrested some persons who were alleged to be into the practice of same sex relationship, a behavior not permitted in most Nigerian traditional settings.
Among those arrested it was learnt included the hotel manager Joseph Pius and Igbovo Godstime Osariemen were arrested, while Udeme Bassey, Osagie Imuetinyan and Robert Igbinovia escaped.
The police has however declared the fleeing gay exponents wanted, urging anyone with useful information as to their whereabouts to report to the nearest police station, vowing to ensure the persecution of those in custody.
Our investigations revealed that the gay meeting at the Ecstatic IFDA Hotel was convened to plan strategies to pressure the Federal Government to repeal the prohibitive laws on same sex marriage.
Besides the prohibitive statutes, same sex relationship in Nigerian traditional settings is regarded a taboo, making offenders highly vulnerable to mob action that could result in their death or serious bodily injuries.
Flowing from this level of repugnance, the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013, was enacted by the Federal Government of Nigeria that criminalized the practice with offenders risking severe penalties, including jail terms.
