Police arrest six suspected homosexuals in Edo

he police have arrested six men for allegedly engaging in acts of homosexuality in the Benin area of Edo State.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 5, AIG Musa Daura, who paraded the suspects on Thursday, said they were arrested on May 9, 2016.

Daura gave the names of the suspects as Festus Osagiede (24), Hyacinth Imahanrebhor (20), Itama Omon (25), Onwukwe Prince (28), Monye Chukwuma (23) and Osadebe Kelvin (26), adding that they had confessed to have been committing the crime since 2006.

He said Osagiede first committed the crime with the third suspect at a night club in Benin in 2006.

“After the third suspect (Itama) got drunk, Osagiede took him to his house and raped him.

Since then, they have been committing the crime with others at large until May 2016, when luck ran out on them,” Daura said.

The youngest among the suspects, Hyacinth, said he was forced into the act by Osagiede, who allegedly threatened to kill him if he disclosed it to anyone.

He said, “It happened late last year, when I was returning from a birthday party at night. I was unable to get public transport back home.

“I met Festus (Osagiede) on my way and he asked me why I was roaming about.Later, he offered to let me pass the night at his place.

“That night, he touched me. In the course of shouting at him, he forcefully penetrated me and it got me sick.

“He said if I told anybody, he knew where to find me and my family, and he would kill me.”

However, the AIG described the crime as a disturbing trend, saying many of the perpetrators had formed cliques. He said the suspects would be charged to court on Friday (today).

“You will agree with me that this offence is an offence against humanity and nature, an abominable act that should be condemned by all,” he added.