Lagos State Government on Friday arraigned the owner of Vintage Hotel located at No. 999 Ikorodu Road/Toyin Close, Weigh Bridge, Owode Onirin in Ikorodu, for aiding and running an homosexual Night Club with two others.
Chief Patrick Okezie along with two of his workers, Sunday Isang and Bright Oba have been arrested and charged to court for promoting same sex activities which is contrary to the provisions of Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2014.
The accused were arrested with 28 adults and 14 minors and paraded before the Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court for engaging in homosexuality in the said hotel.
The Chief Magistrate of the Court, Mr Adewale Ojo, gave the order that the defendants should be remanded in prison pending the advice of the State’s Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) after pleading not guilty of the offence.
The prosecuting Council which was led by Miss Adetutu Oshinusi and her team from the State Directorate of Public Prosecution, Bosun Aroyehun, Folabi Sholebo, Olaitan Shoetan and Nnena Okereka, urged the Court to direct the defendants to submit themselves to the Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA) for monitoring and Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), for rehabilitation.
Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill was signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 and it states that
“A person, who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies or organizations, or directly or indirectly makes public show of same-sex amorous relationship in Nigeria commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years. Anyone convicted of entering into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union faces up to 14 years imprisonment”.
Messrs Okeze (56), Isang (30) and Oba (28) were arraigned at the court for one-count criminal charge.The Magistrate granted the request of the prosecution demanding monitoring and Sexual rehabilitation for the defendants, while the matter was adjourned to September 8, 2017.
