Nigeria: Thugs attack ex-wife suspected of lesbian affair

Mike Daemon is the pseudonym of the founder and presenter…

A Nigerian woman accused of lesbian sex has escaped to Canada after surviving an attack by thugs who she said were sent by her ex-husband. The attack and her escape occurred after she was released from police custody following her arrest on homosexuality charges at her ex-husband’s instigation.

Photo shows Rita, crying, injured and bleeding, shortly after the attack. The photo was taken by her daughter.

Rita (not her real name), who was previously arrested by the police after her ex-husband reported her for allegedly engaging in a lesbian affair, said she was attacked on Sunday, Sept. 17, by thugs sent by her husband to beat her and kill her.

The incident happened on a street close to the victim’s house in Lagos.

Rita told NoStringsNG that she managed to escape with the help of security agents patrolling the area after sustaining serious injuries on her head and other parts of her body. She said:

“I was coming back from a gay party that I had attended that evening when I heard voices from people standing at a dark corner of the street. There were four men calling out to identify me. I was scared because it was a little bit late so I walked very fast to avoid any harm, but they moved very quickly and stopped me.

“Immediately they started hitting me and saying all sorts of things about how I left my husband to be a lesbian, and that they will burn me. I heard as one of them requested a tire. They started hitting me with very heavy wood. I fell to the ground and started bleeding.”

Rita said that she was lucky to have escaped alive.

Human rights advocates condemn Uganda’s ongoing homophobic violence

“Two estate security men who were patrolling heard my screams, came over and was shouting (whats going on there?) and the thugs fled. I was interrogated by the security men I lied they tried to rob me and I was pleading with them not to harm me. I was bleeding from my head and nostrils. I had bruises on my arms, thighs, face, and neck. I got to my brother’s house and narrated the incidence to him he wanted me to report to the police but I refused. I was taken to a local clinic where I was treated and discharged the next day”

Rita said her ex-husband kept threatening her, so she fled to Canada, using money that she had saved up. On Sept. 20, she boarded a plane to Canada, where a friend lives. She arrived on Sept. 21.

“I have now relocated out of the country to Canada where I am now seeking asylum. After the incident, my husband sent me a text message telling me that the attack was just a tiny part of his plan and that the next attack will come with acid. I had to flee to Canada.”

Related article: