BEVERLY HILLS, August 03, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State Governmenton Thursdayarraigned a total of 40 males, 28 adults and 12 minor, before a Lagos Magistrate Court for allegedly engaging in same sex acts.
The 28 adults were arraigned before the Yaba Magistrate Court while the minors were arraigned before Magistrate Segun Elias of the Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court in a closed-session.
The defendants, arrested lastSaturdayby men of the Lagos State Police Command in Owode Onirin area of the State, were arraigned separately on a one-count charge.
They were said to have been caught in the act of homosexuality at a popular hotel in the area simply known as Vintage Hotel.
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 offence punishable under Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
The adults are Adedayo Kamadupe (27), Abiodun Pedro (22), Ikechukwu Onyebuchi (32), Dike Stanley (19), Oji Charles Isioma (28), Garuba Ibrahim (21),MondayFavour (20), Ayo Marcus Ayobamidele (26), Stanley Adeasbo (25), Victor Isaac (18), Godwin Williams (19), Kashimawo Oluwatosin (25), Abass Tajudeen (24), Olamigoke Adeola (19) and Yussuf Fawaz (19).
Others are Johnson Michael (19), Francis Michael (22), Samuel Adeyinka (25), Samuel Collins (25), Kazeem Akorede (25), Adebayo Bukola (23), Ochiagha Ifeanyi (19), Babatunde Taiwo (26), Raphael Dugh (30), Kenneth Ubaji (19), Alisi Ferdinand Okechukwu (30), Malik Ahmed (18) and Olamide Adeola (18).
After the charge was read, all 28 defendants pleaded not guilty, while their lawyers, Ehiko Onoche and S.M Oladele urged the Court to admit them to bail.
The prosecution team led by Ms Adetutu Oshinusi from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice did not oppose their bail application.
She, however, urged the Court to direct the defendants to submit themselves to the Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA) and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) for monitoring and rehabilitation.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Adewale Ojo granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N500, 000 and two sureties in like sum and must present evidence of tax payment.
One of the sureties must be a relative of the defendants, while the other must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction.
Ojo also granted the request of the prosecution demanding monitoring and Sexual rehabilitation for the defendants, while the matter was adjourned toSeptember 8, 2017.
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