By Alexis Akwagyiram
LAGOS, March 3 (Reuters) - No women were arrested in a 2018
police raid that led 47 Nigerian men to be charged with displays
of affection with members of the same sex, a witness said on
Tuesday, in a case that tests a law criminalising homosexuality
in Africa's most populous country.
In November the men pleaded not guilty to the offence which
carries a 10-year jail term and resulted from legislation
introduced by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in
2014. No one has yet been convicted under the law, which targets
same-sex unions with prison terms of up to 14 years, prosecution
and defence lawyers in the case have told Reuters.
Police said the men were being "initiated" into a gay club
at the Kelly Ann hotel in the southwestern commercial capital of
Lagos in August 2018. However, the accused said they were
attending a birthday party.
Among the contentious points in the case are whether some
women were also arrested during the raid but later released,
which according to human rights campaigners would suggest that
men were unfairly singled out by police.
Oke Olufunmilayo, a senior policeman called as a witness by
the prosecution, told the court on Tuesday he led a team of
officers in the raid around four hours after receiving a call
from police headquarters that a "gay initiation" would be held
at the hotel.
He said around 100 men fled a hall when police arrived, many
of whom climbed over a fence.
Olufunmilayo told the court women were not among those
arrested.
But the defence lawyer claimed women were present at the
event and were arrested, only to be released later. Asked if any
women were arrested in the raid, the witness said: "Not at all."
The case was adjourned until April 2.
Outside the court one of the defendants, Desmond Onuoha,
claimed women were in the hall and among those arrested. "When
we were brought outside, they (police) asked them to go," said
the 25-year-old cook.
In all, 57 men were arrested in the raid. Arrest warrants
were issued for 10 men who failed to appear in court.
Some of the men told Reuters they have been stigmatised as a
result of the raid and a televised news conference held by
police in which they were identified the day after their arrest.
WIDER IMAGE-A police raid, viral videos and the broken lives of
Nigerian gay law suspects ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>