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Two men were almost killed by an angry mob in the Odogunyan area of Ikorodu, Lagos State yesterday, December 11th after being accused of homosexuality, an act that is illegal in Nigeria and widely seen as taboo in many communities.
The men, identified as Anthony Ughochukwu Olise and Sylvester Enose, were reportedly seen leaving a hotel together when some people in the area raised an alarm, accusing them of being gay partners.
According to eyewitnesses, a crowd quickly gathered and began attacking the two men after some men in the mob reportedly claimed they had been monitoring the two suspects for a while.They said they had long suspected the two of being in a gay relationship and decided to act when they saw them coming out of the hotel together.
They were beaten mercilessly, stripped naked, and publicly humiliated. The mob only stopped after the men managed to escape with the help of a few bystanders.
During the beating, the suspects allegedly confessed to the act while begging the mob to spare their lives.
Homosexuality remains a criminal offence in Nigeria, carrying jail terms of up to 14 years under the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act.
An eyewitness, Bukola Onigbanjo, who watched the scene and spoke to our correspondent, said the two men were lucky to escape alive.
She said, “I don’t support homosexuality because it’s against our culture and religion, but what the mob did was wrong. They should have called the police instead of taking the law into their own hands.”
According to a few persons our correspondent spoke to in the area, some young people in the area, especially those said to be from radical Muslim groups, are now believed to be searching for the two men to harm them further if found.