Nigeria's anti-gay law enacted in January 2014 stipulates a 14-year prison term for anyone convicted of having sex with members of the same sex.
The Anambra State Government has arrested a man for allegedly molesting and having gay sex with young boys in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria.
The suspect, Ike Okoye, was allegedly caught in the act in Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area of the state, according to a statement by Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, a media aide to the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, on Wednesday.
How the suspect was arrested
Ms Ikeanyionwu said the President-General of Isuofia Peoples Assembly, Jude Chikadibia-Okeke, reported the incident to the State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare when the suspect was caught in the alleged crime.
In collaboration with Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra Brigade, the media aide said the ministry consequently arrested the suspect.
Mr Chikadibia-Okeke, according to the statement, claimed the suspect had been molesting and having gay sex with "several young boys" in the community for a long time.
The president-general, however, regretted that each time the suspect was arrested, unnamed high-profile individuals from the state would secure his bail.
He claimed that in the latest incident, he and other community members caught Mr Okoye last weekend having gay sex with "lots of boys and young men" before he quickly phoned the commissioner who ordered his arrest.
Suspect speaks
During interrogation, Mr Okoye, a retired teacher from Okpoko village in the community, reportedly denied ever engaging in any homosexual activity with the boys.
However, he later confessed that he "romanced" some of the boys and held their sexual organs but never "penetrated" them as alleged.
What the survivors said
Two of the boys allegedly molested by Mr Okoye have narrated their experience with the suspect.
The boys, who were not identified, claimed that the suspect usually came to them under the pretext of either rendering financial assistance or inviting them to do house chores for him to pay them.
One of the boys said to be 25 years old, claimed that the suspect started molesting him when he was 17 until he informed his mother of the alleged molestation.
The second survivor, who is 31, claimed the suspect usually got satisfied by holding their sexual organs.
He added that he resisted the suspect when he (the survivor) got tired of the constant molestation.
Both victims, according to the statement, claimed that after they resisted the suspect, he kept putting pressure on them and subsequently threatened them.
Police take over
Ms Ikeanyionwu said the suspect was consequently handed over to the police in the state for further investigation and subsequent prosecution.
The media aide to the commissioner pointed out that the suspect, on appearing before the police, began pleading for forgiveness.
Authorities react
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs Obinabo and the Managing Director of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra Brigade, Celestine Anere, have expressed sadness over the development.
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The officials assured that the state government was committed to ending child molestation and homosexuality in the state.
Prohibited in Nigeria
Homosexual relationships are illegal in Nigeria.
Nigeria's anti-gay law, enacted in January 2014 by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, stipulates a 14-year prison term for anyone convicted of having sex with members of the same sex.
The Nigerian government put the law to the test for the first time in December 2019 when 47 men, arrested by the police in a hotel in Lagos the previous year, were arraigned in court, accused of publicly displaying affection for members of the same sex.
All 47 men pleaded not guilty and were granted bail by the court. A federal judge later struck out the charges against the men because of a "lack of diligent prosecution" by the police.
