The Lagos state government on Thursday arraigned 28 adults and 12 minors before a Lagos magistrate court for alleged act of homosexuality.
The defendants, who are all males, were arraigned separately on a one-count charge.
While the adults were arraigned before Yaba magistrate court, the minors were arraigned before Ebute-Metta magistrate court.
Officers of the state police command arrested them on July 29 at Vintage Hotel located in Owode Onirin area of the state.
In the criminal charge filed by Adetutu Oshinusi, the prosecuting counsel, the defendants were said to have engaged in gay activities “by permitting male persons to have canal knowledge of themselves against the order of nature and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state, 2015.”
The adults include Adedayo Kamadupe (27), Abiodun Pedro (22), Ikechukwu Onyebuchi (32), Dike Stanley (19), Oji Charles Isioma (28), Garuba Ibrahim (21), Monday Favour (20), Ayo Marcus Ayobamidele (26) and Stanley Adeasbo (25).
Others are Victor Isaac (18), Godwin Williams (19), Kashimawo Oluwatosin (25), Abass Tajudeen (24), Olamigoke Adeola (19), Yussuf Fawaz (19), Johnson Michael (19), Francis Michael (22), Samuel Adeyinka (25) and Samuel Collins (25).
Also included are Kazeem Akorede (25), Adebayo Bukola (23), Ochiagha Ifeanyi (19), Babatunde Taiwo (26), Raphael Dugh (30), Kenneth Ubaji (19), Alisi Ferdinand Okechukwu (30), Malik Ahmed (18) and Olamide Adeola (18).
They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Ehiko Onoche and S.M Oladele, the defense counsel, urged the court to grant them bail.
The prosecuting counsel also asked the court to direct the defendants to submit themselves to the Lagos state AIDS control agency (LSACA) for monitoring as well as Lagos state domestic and sexual violence response team (DSVRT) for rehabilitation.
In his ruling, Adewale Ojo, the chief magistrate, granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N500,000 each and two sureties in like sum.
Ojo said one of the sureties must be a relative of the defendants, while the other must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction.
The chief magistrate also granted the request of the prosecution for the defendants to undergo sexual rehabilitation and monitoring.
The sitting was adjourned to September 8 for continued hearing.
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