Onitsha court detains two homosexual suspects accused of having sex with minors

HOMOSEXUAL suspects Ebuka Anyasi and Michael Ikegbunam have been remanded in custody by the Onitsha Magistrates Court after being charged with having carnal knowledge of two under-aged boys.

 

In the first such case of its kind to be tried in Onitsha, Anambra State, Ebuka Anyasi, 23, and Michael Ikegbunam, 19, are being prosecuted for having sexual intercourse with two minors, Ifechukwu Okafor, 14, and Tagbo Chukwuma. After they appeared in court yesterday, Chief Magistrate Nkemdilim Ike, ordered that they remain in custody so he could consider the applications by the parties to the case.

 

On June 15, both men were detained in Onitsha Prisons by the court on June after being accused of carrying out an unnatural act which lasted for seven days, while both victims were locked in conferment in Okoloji Street, Odoakpu in Onitsha. Both the two accused pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge against them.

 

Prosecutor Clem Nwancho, an assistant superintendent of police, opposed their bail and submitted a three-page motion application as well as an affidavit opposing the plea for bail for the two accused.  He also opposed their plea on the grounds that they would jump bail and insisted that the duo should be remanded in prison custody to serve as a deterrent to others, pending the determination of the case. 

 

John Chukwuma, the lead defence counsel, yesterday submitted a nine-paragraph motion and an affidavit praying the court to grant the two accused bail since the offence was bailable. In her ruling, the magistrate, adjourned the matter to July 1 to enable her study the various written applications of the parties in the matter and decide whether to grant the two accused bail or not.

 

Meanwhile, some lawyers in Onitsha have expressed fears over a grand plan to suppress the matter by some unknown big wigs in the state who were working round the clock to ensure the case was frustrated because of their involvement in the act. Over the last two years, Nigeria has become increasingly intolerant of homosexuality, forcing most gay people to act in secret.

 

On January 7 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan signed Nigeria's Draconian bill Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act into law, making anyone convicted of being homosexual liable to 14 years in prison. Since the law came into effect, the police have swung into action arresting lesbians and gays across Nigeria, while homophobic vigilante groups have also stepped up attacks on suspected victims.