James
Onuoha (real names withheld) a banker, is a product of both Western
influences and the traditional cultures of Nigeria. Academically, he’s a
Western, having acquired his first and second degrees in financial
management in an American university at his prime. But emotionally, he
is swayed by age old superstition and the traditions of his people.
When
the time comes for him to get married, James bowed to family pressures,
and chooses a girl from among his own Ibos, leaving his mistress of
many years behind in Lagos. But the lucky bride, Obiagali, whom he
finally chooses, is tied to the apron string of the primitive curse of
the village gods. Undeterred by this chilling discovery, James, together
with his wife to be, agreed to go through a curious and sinister ritual
to secure her release so that they can marry. Ironically, at the climax
of the purification exercise to extricate Obiagali from the grip of the
village gods, she died in a mysterious circumstance.
Disappointed
at the tragic death of his heart-throb, James was thrown into pensive
mood. Two days after, he left the village unannounced to resume his work
in Lagos. All appeal by his parents and kinsmen to take another girl in
the village as replacement for a wife fell on deaf ear, rather, James
opted to remain a bachelor. He ignores emissaries sent by his parents to
rescind his decision to remain single despite the enormous wealth at
his disposal.
Events
happen so quickly in James’ new life. Just one day, he chances upon an
old friend. After exchange of pleasantries, which revealed their new
status, the friend invited James to a club party – gay club which he
obliged.
That
party changed James’ life as he gave in to overtures made at him by men
lovers. Right from then on, James has a man lover, perhaps as an escape
route to bury his ugly past.
Bad
news, they say, spreads faster than disease. James has defined a life
style for himself. He’s a gay – married to a fellow man. A kinsman who
visited the village from Laos broke the news to James’ father.
“Have you heard?” he questions James’ father rhetorically.
“What is it, my son?”
“Your
son, James is now married to a man in Lagos. He leaves with him in his
house. Though, he tells people and neighbours that the young man is a
friend. But he was kind enough to disclose the truth to me,” he said.
“Abomination!” the old man exclaimed in disbelief.
“So
the story is true. For sometime now, my son, James has become a song
for drunkards and a subject of whispering gossips at both the village
square and beer parlour. See what city life has done to my son,” he
lamented.
But James is just one of most Nigerians who indulged in this abysmal practice of homosexuality with impunity.
The
story of Chinwe, a Nigerian lesbian based in Britain who flew into
Nigeria to advocate the legalisation of homosexuality is still fresh in
our minds. At the public hearing in Benin, Edo State, the self confessed
Lesbian (Chinwe) wept profusely before the gathering why homosexuality
should be enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution as a way of life and an
infringement of their (homosexuals) fundamental human rights if their
agitation is treated with levity.
Nigerians
marvelled at the impudence and shamelessness of her face saving
remarks. They variably winced under the biting sarcasm her comments
elicited. But the last sentence, they found very exasperating as
villianeous tongues of women in the vicinity lashed out with a sting
that was too painful for her to bear.
Chinwe who was sandwiched by armed police officers, was taunted and teased but stood her ground.
Also,
a male popular Nigerian musician was reportedly caught in the act with a
renowned male entertainer. Though, the musician refuted the story,
threatened to sue the newspaper for defamation of character, however,
buried his head in shame when photographs, showing his clandestine
affair were published days after the story was reported. That singular
publication, however, sealed the lips of the musician and hairy
entertainer lover.
John
Amaechi, a basketball player in the NBA made a revelation of the plight
of gay athletes in major league sports. In his book, titled, Man in the
middle, Amaechi exposes the institutionalised homophobia inherent in
the hyper-masculine world by American professional athletes.
Though,
his exposure was greeted with avalanche of criticisms, but Ameachi was
undeterred as he went ahead to openly discussed LGBT issues as well as
encouraging other gay athletes to pursue their dreams irrespective of
their shameful life-style.
These
days, Nigerians who indulged in the illicit practice no longer operate
under cover. They make bold to demonstrate their gayness by trying to
initiate unsuspecting Nigerians into their fold.
Reverend
Rowland Olajide Macaulay is a Nigerian Apostle of gay. His nefarious
activities and a gay church was exclusively reported by Saturday
Vanguard barely a month ago.
His
church called House of Rainbow, was located at No. 36/36 Yakoyo Street,
Ojodu Berger, Lagos and has become an abode for established gays and
initiates.
According
to the gay man of God, “my church is a voice of the younger generation
of citizens, activists and diaspora, and our collective belief in a more
progressive Nigeria. They are afraid of our growing influence as we
gather allies not just from the West, a people that are not afraid but
powerful and resilient.”
“Religion,”
he observed, is a backbone to life in Nigeria, so, we all want to go to
church. But we don’t want to lie to God about who we are.”
Macaulay
who established his House of Rainbow in 2006 where he openly held
Sunday services in an hotel hall in Lagos, decorated in rainbow colours
however abandoned the church after a public backslash which culminated
in manhandling of his members. He fled to the UK after he received death
threats from unknown persons.
But
Saturday Vanguard’s investigation shows that the man is back on the
trenches. This year, he has recruited a small team which includes among
others his local leaders in Lagos.
But
for Mrs Josephine Adebayo being a lesbian was a choice she made
following the neglect of her husband’s nonchalant attitude towards her.
Narrating
her ordeal to Saturday Vanguard at her Victoria Island residence, Mrs
Adebayo said lesbianism has offered her the romance the husband denies
her.
“You
may not belief it except you try it, lesbianism is more intriguing than
most people thought. Though, I was hesitant to accept it when one of my
good friends initially talked me into it. But today, I’ve every course
to be grateful to her. Besides, my lover woman is so good at it,” she
confesses.
A
21 year-old man, Adisa was almost lynched recently at Amukoko, a suburb
in Lagos for sodomising teenagers for rituals. According to residents
in the area, Adisa who was reverend as a man of God was caught in the
act with one of the teenage boys in the area but he escaped through his
back door. Also, a Nigerian gay was reported in one of the social medias
as being married to a German lawyer and later divorced him.
Okechukwu,
another Nigerian gay is currently operating a gay entertainment company
in Abia State. Okechukwu however, disclosed that the main preoccupation
of his company is to provide gay dancers and entertainment services for
private parties and business functions.
But
Anthonia Okorodudu (not real names) said she was introduced into
lesbianism in a girls’ `, secondary school in Ughelli, Delta State.
According
to her, the senior students usually had them as bunk-mates only to
start fumbling with them when night falls. “At a time, the exercise was
disgusting. First, I can’t imagine a fellow woman kissing and dipping
her finger into my virgina as well as fumbling with my breast,” she
said.
Today, Anthonia who later graduated in lesbianism has become mistress in the game.
“I’ve
introduced many other notable women who suffer marital problems into
the game. I must confess that they are enjoying it. Though, it’s a
personal life style, hence the identities of such persons cannot be
easily disclosed,” she said.
But Ethel who also attended an only girls secondary school in Enugu attested to this fact.
According
to Ethel, “sometimes, your lover can ditch and abandons you in the
cold. Under such circumstance, we insert candle into our virgina to get
the desired erotic satisfaction. “You know, the edge of a candle stick
looks more like a male’s organ. But there is a way of going about this,”
Ethel reveals.
Similarly,
Andrew Adewusi who attended an only Boys Secondary School in the North,
said boys indulged in all manners of acts to derive erotic maximum
satisfaction.
Till
date, most of those boys who were caught in the act of gay in school
refused to dump the illicit act. They are already neck deep in it,” he
said.
Common features of
homosexuals
Though they are not easy to be identified but they possess peculiar traits which set them apart from ordinary persons.
Just like gigoloes, men who indulge in the act are generally fashionable and possess the carriage of a woman.
They are usually meticulous of their looks. Some of them wear ear-rings, fanciful plaited wrist watch and some finger rings.
Also, some of them use make-up as eye pencil and even apply lip-sticks.
They use feminine voice (emotional) whenever they are making overtures.
What thrills them in the fellow men, is guys with robust back side.
For Lesbians
Some
of them prefer to look like a Tom-Boy. They dress like men but at the
same time, stay away from men. Often times, they go in pairs and belong
to one social club or the other.
They are usually society women who are into big time business. Musicians and politicians fall prey to such advances.
Vanguard Nigeria
