₦airaland Forum

The Nigerian police have been accused of having cold feet in prosecuting the 57 men they arrested in Egbeda area of Lagos, over an alleged homosexuality.


Oludare Falana, the lawyer representing the men accused of engaging in homsexuality alleged that the case is yet to proceed because the police is yet to file their proof of evidence before the court.

“If you’re going to charge people to court, you must give us the proof of evidence,” Mr Falana said at press conference on Monday August 26.

“The proof of evidence is everything you were able to gather together during your investigation which informed your decision to charge them to court.

“From my understanding and my interaction with some of these boys, they were in a party, so how do you prove to the whole world that they were engaged in same-sex? We have 57 boys, who is having sex with the other? How were they doing it?

“It’s been exactly one year that these boys have been arrested and detained, and I can tell you, as at the last time we were in court, not a single charge has been preferred against them.

“I was in court personally myself on the last adjourned date and I tried to move the magistrate to strike out the case because as far as I’m concerned, there is no case before the court because there is no charge. But in her wisdom, she said no, that she is going to adjourn.

“Counsel to the police mentioned that they are trying to put heads together and charge them before a federal high court, that it was a federal offence.”

Admitting that he is aware of Nigeria's anti-gay law which criminalises same-sex relationships and also has a conviction of up to 14 years in prison, Falana maintained that it is subservient to the Nigerian Constitution. Premium Times reported that he also lashed out at the Police for parading the young men before the media and then stalling their trial in court.

“The question here is this, if the Constitution has guaranteed their freedom of association, freedom to assemble together, that fundamentally-guaranteed freedom cannot be taken away at the whims and caprice of anybody including the state.

“Anybody can gather, that is what the Constitution says, the Constitution never mentioned that boys must not stay together or girls must not assemble" he said.

“These boys have been shown to the whole world as homosexuals, as criminals. At the end of the day, if the state cannot prefer a charge against them in one year, it tells a lot about whatever is wrong with their investigation.

“Secondly, how are you going to make up for this stigmatisation? Are you going to take them back on air and say we are sorry these boys are not whom we thought they are? How do you ameliorate their pains in terms of re-creating the wrong impression you have given the whole world?” he added.

Also lamenting over the demonization of the young men by friends and family after being arrested over homosexuality by the Police, Xeenarh Mohammed, the executive director of The Initiative for Equal Rights stated that the men have not had the chance to clear their names thereafter.

“The reason we are here today is because of the miscarriage of justice that has been done here in Lagos State both by the police and the entire legal system,” said Ms Mohammed.

“Today is exactly a year since the people at a birthday party were arrested, detained for days, maltreated and they’ve still not seen justice. They’ve been branded as criminals, displayed to the rest of the world and they have not had a chance to clear their names.”

Reported that upon being arrested on August 26, 2018, Lagos state's former commissioner of police Imohimi Edgal accused the "suspects" of performing gay initiation rites for newly recruited members. However when arraigned before a Yaba chief magistrate court on three counts of conspiracy, belonging to a secret cult, and unlawful gathering the men claimed they were attending a birthday party.

https://bigbuzzpanda.com/police-presents-no-evidence-a-year-after-arresting-57-men-for-homosexuality-in-lagos/

FTC
Omg so this is what it feels like to be FTC. After all these years? I can't believe I've finally made it in life
Thunder fire you Stella...shey you said I'd never become anything useful in this life. Now looks who is FTC

Nigeria Nigeria!

Don't be surprised when next you hear that, they were arrested in connection to cybercrime, and not homosexuality again! NFP na big disgrace jor!

Ok

They only get evidence for yahoo boys cus they use iPhone and lappy

Awon werey!

Media trial....na this kind case competent lawyers dey like

Sue gallow

They should be punished like that... We don't need evidence for that type of matter... How can your name be associated with that sort of crime?



As I like nyash like this, person go come accuse me say I be homo The person mad? My street people self go protest.

Did they caught me in the act?

Lol

What is the latest on police investigation of Senator Elisha Abbo?

Arrest & arrest...please before displaying on TV or social media, verify them.

Princeton92:
Did they caught me in the act?

Lol

You still remember that dude.

"They did not caught me in the act"

Jamebrown

hisexcellency34:
What is the latest on police investigation of Senator Elisha Abbo?

The number you have dialled is not answering...to send a VOICEMAIL, please stay on the line, otherwise, hang up now.

This is inhumane

Like 9ja police , like buhari

Like providing a CCTV prove while banging their assess abi

TheBeat:
You still remember that dude.

"They did not caught me in the act"

.
My brother, we can't forget him so easily, he went viral with his "caught"

Wasting taxpayers money to feed innocent people.

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Kirikiri jo soapy. Inside life

In all every police stations in NIGERIA you can never find a high system control room. No internet facilities.. no systems to keep and store case files for future usage.. no relentless valid investigation, no forensic report on any crime no Constant Electric power.. Unhygienic restroom and Dirty unpleasant Cell cobwebs and wall gecko everywhere.. This NIGERIA has been Curse by the gods...

DID THEY CAUGHT ME

no be yahoo and arm robber again

walai dis people dey confused

Is Oludare Falana related to Femi Falana or Falz?

Don't forget, "they didn't caught us".

One of the arrested boys has now gotten 2 endorsements deals from companies

I believe those were actually engaged in gay stuff but it's their life. We, including all those engaging in all forms of ungodly activity such as fornication and adultery will all render an account of themselves to God.

Don't pick on a vulnerable minority because you're a majority. Why don't you pick on fornicators? Is it because they are a majority and they'll break your head or because you are also one?

Leave vengeance to God and go and buy nice hot Suya

Bobrisky wey proof of gaydom dey him body both inside and out, nobody wan arrest am.

The fear of f@ggot politicians and business tycoons/thieves is the beginning of wisdom for 1diotic lawyers like this one