A man identified as Ndukwe Uchenna Uduma was on Monday allegedly caught in the act of sodomy in his abode.
The middle aged man who is domiciled at World Bank Housing Estate in Umuahia, Abia state was given the beating of his life by neighbours.
The neighbours contended that Ndukwe has violated a section of the Nigeria constitution which prohibits gay practice and same sex marriage as well as defiled their compound and community at large.
Newsbuka.com gathered that it was Ndukwe’s Landlord, Mr. Okoro who had monitored Ndukwe and suspected that he is bisexual.
Speaking further, Mr. Okoro said he has a demarcation door between his bedroom and that of Ndukwe, noting that the strange moaning sound that emanates from Ndukwe’s room most nights propelled him to investigate his tenant.
He hinted that his suspicion grew further when he continued spotting a familiar face that always visits the compound at night, odd hours and heads straight to Ndukwe’s apartment.
While responding to the question on how he concluded that Ndukwe was a bisexual, Mr. Okoro said there was a day he jokingly asked Ndukwe why his friend always visits at odd hours against the rule in the compound. The landlord stated that instead of Ndukwe to respond to the questions, he kept mute and walked away.
Mr Okoro told newsmen that due to his inquisitive habit, he asked further questions, revealing that his questions angered Ndukwe who responded “Mr landlord, can you please mind your business, I can’t be you and you can’t be me, all I owe you is regular payment of your rent and that’s all”.
In his words, Mr Okoro said, “I became uncomfortable with the sound I hear from that room most nights for some days now since Ndukwe formed the habit of returning late from work. I decided to peep through the key hole of the door connecting my apartment and his. I couldn’t believe what my eyes saw because his room light was so bright and his door was directly opposite. I screamed loud to the extent that my wife and kids woke up. Even at that, I continued screaming abomination! until other tenants came out only to see a young man run out of Ndukwe’s room and head straight to the gate”.
“I quickly rushed out to grip the accomplice, but he was fast enough to escape, waved and stopped a tricycle and zoomed off while I returned to the house to confront Ndukwe who snubbed me and jammed his door”.
Mr Okoro added that while these were happening, he was left with no other option than to summon an urgent meeting with his other tenants that night to relate to them what transpired.
He revealed that during the meeting, a tenant name Chinedu said he witnessed how Ndukwe was beaten because he refused to open his door until other youths in the community interfered as they forced Ndukwe’s door open, dragged him out and beat him until they confirmed that he was unconscious.
Chinedu informed that during the beating, Ndukwe was said to be screaming while asking the villagers their business with what he does in his room, accusing them of invading his privacy.
Newsbuka.com, learnt that Ndukwe later escaped lynching though he sustained bruises just as it was gathered that he fainted and was revived.
Security operatives later came to the scene on the night of incident to maintain peace and order while the landlord left with them to give account of what transpired.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach Ndukwe on phone to hear his own side of the story proved abortive as his phone number was not reachable.
In the same vein, the Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Geoffrey Ogbonna could not be reached for comment as at press time.
Recall that in 2014, Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill that criminalises same-sex relationships, defying western pressure over gay rights and provoking US criticism.
The bill, which contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex “amorous relationships” and membership of gay rights groups, was passed by the national assembly on May 2013 but Jonathan delayed signing it into law.
Also, under existing Nigerian federal law, sodomy is punishable by jail, but this bill legislates for a much broader crackdown on homosexual people, who live a largely underground existence.
