By Tope Musowo Lagos
Lagos state government ‘yesterday’ arraigned 28 adults and 12 minors before a Magistrate Court for allegedly engaging in homosexuality contrary to the laws of the land. Th e minors were arraigned before Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court, while the adults were arraigned before Yaba Magistrate Court. Th e defendants, who are all male, were arraigned separately on a onecount charge.
Th ey were all arrested last Saturday by offi cials of the Lagos State Police Command in Owode Onirin area of the state. Th e defendants were said to had been caught in the act of homosexuality at a popular Vintage Hotel in the area. According to the criminal charge, the defendants were said to “have on or about 29th July, 2017, at Vintage Hotel, No. 999 Ikorodu Road/Toyin Close, Weigh Bridge, Owode Onirin, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did engage in gay activities by permitting male persons to have canal knowledge of themselves against the order of nature and thereby committed an off ence punishable under Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state, 2015.” After the charge was read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty, while their lawyers – Ehiko Onoche, S.M Oladele urged the Court to admit them on bail.
Th e prosecution team, led by Adetutu Oshinusi from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lagos state Ministry of Justice did not oppose their bail application, but urged the Court to direct the defendants to submit themselves to the Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA) for monitoring and Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) for rehabilitation. Th e offi cials of both agencies were also present in court. In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Adewale Ojo granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N500,000 and two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties, according to the court, must be a relative of the defendants, while the other must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction. Th e sureties must also present evidence of tax payment. Th e magistrate also granted the request of the prosecution demanding monitoring and sexual rehabilitation for the defendants, while the matter was adjourned to September 8, 2017. Th e minors were arraigned before Magistrate Segun Elias of Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court in a closed-session.
