Nigeria: Police arrest homophobic robbery suspect
A suspected homophobic robber has been apprehended by Nigerian police in the Ibusa area of Delta State. He is charged with robbery and attempted murder of a local man whom he and his associates suspect is gay.
The arrest came a week after Delta State police met with representatives from Levites Initiative for Freedom and Enlightenment [LIFFE], a human rights organization, to discuss working together to combat crime.
Stanley Nwabueze, the suspect, was identified as a member of an anti-gay criminal gang in Ibusa town in Delta State. He was nabbed by officers of the Ibusa divisional police after a successful undercover operation.
The arrest happened on March 14, immediately after the police received a report from LIFFE about a man who was beaten, extorted and accused of being gay by the gang.
The organization had previously informed the police of similar criminal activities in the area perpetrated by a gang of criminals who parade themselves as anti-gay.
According to police, Nwabueze disguises himself as a commercial motorcyclist for hire. He usually drives his victims to an isolated part of Ibusa town, where his gang waits to carry out their crimes.
When the police visited the scene of the robbery — an old, unfinished, haggard-looking building — they found no one there, but did find the victim’s empty wallet dumped at a corner with all its contents removed by the criminals.
The robbery victim, a resident of Enugu, had been lured to Ibusa on March 13 by a friendly-sounding invitation on Facebook.
So far, Nwabueze has been charged to the Chief Magistrate’a Court, Ibusa, and remanded at Ogwuashi Uku prison on five count charges of robbery, attempted murder, attempted suicide, attempted escape from custody, and conspiracy. He is scheduled to return to court sometimes in April.
Because of the continuing danger in Ibusa, the LGBTQ advocacy website NoStringsNG advises members of the community to avoid visiting unknown persons there and to ignore any form of social media invitations for now.
Related articles:
- Police and Nigerian chief vow action against anti-gay blackmail (
- Man blackmailed after refusing sex with blackmailer (
- Anti-gay blackmail in Nigeria: ‘I was forced to cooperate’ (
- Anti-gay blackmail cost Nigerian singer his family, education (October 2017, 76crimes.com)
- Suspected Nigerian gay man allegedly abducted, blackmailed (June 2017, 76crimes.com)
This sounds positive, a police force that is sort of cooperating with the human rights organisation! Lets hope the cooperation as is will be continued, and increased! Also, we now will have to wait for the court on April 25th, will they find the guy or gang guilty of the accusations, and sentence accordingly, or will the judge be the opposite! We keep on alert, and keep on monitoring!
murder because they suspect him as gay?……this will be a, show trial for the media
When the outcome of the (possible) showtrial will be that the guy attempting to kill will be found guilty, then I think it is something positive, simply because then the judge(s) show(ed) that killing another person because he/she is gay isn’t OK! And it could(!) be a start of change of attitude among the common people! A lot of trials in the past in western countries started off as show-trials, because of the negative attitude towards gay people, but see were the west has come now. Yes, a lot more assumed or real gay people will be killed, but the more of the killers will be put on trial and found guilty, the more common people will realize that being gay is not unnatural or not fitting in the African culture! The moment the guy at trial would be found not guilty I am sure and convinced that gay people and supporters will stand up in strong protests!