Delta ‘Gay’ Wedding: Treat Arrested Suspects With Dignity, Frank Tietie Tells Police

Frank Tietie, Executive Director of the Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER), has called on the Nigeria Police, Delta State command, to treat “over hundred gay suspects” its operatives arrested in a hotel with dignity in line with relevant laws.

The police stated Tuesday via X platform (formerly Twitter) that the suspects were arrested while carrying out “a gay wedding ceremony”.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, condemned same-sex marriage in the state.

“On the 27th of August, 2023 at about 2100hrs, operatives of the divisional patrol team attached to Ekpan Division intercepted a male cross-dresser who claimed to be an actor; upon interrogation, he confessed that he is a member of a certain gayclub and that he was on to join his fellow members for a gay marriage ceremony,” the police tweeted.

But in a statement made available to THE WHISTLER, CASER stated that it was wrong for the police to parade the suspects.

According to Tietie, he does not support Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender(LGBT) practices but the LGBT community are human beings who are entitled to all human rights.

“It is important for the Nigeria Police to act professionally and realise that as citizens of Nigeria, those young people are entitled to their fundamental human rights to be treated with dignity and respect no matter the allegations levelled against them.

“This is also based on the foundation that at all times, they are presumed innocent until found guilty.

“Whereas a thorough investigation is yet to be concluded by the police and the rights of the victims to legal defence has not been fully activated or exhausted, it is blatantly wrong to parade in public, these young persons said to be involved in an anti-social behaviour in such an undignifying manner just to cater to media sensationalism and the news appetite of a largely Nigerian public that is culturally and religiously biased, in hatred against the notion of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender (LGBT) persons,” he stated.

He argued that the young persons involved are firstly human beings and are citizens of Nigeria who must not only be accorded human dignity but whose rights to freedom of thought and expression should be respected and enforced.

He called on the police to desist from parading the suspects and sue them for the court to determine their fate.

The statement reads further, “Whereas, it is a guiding principle among a large section of human rights practitioners in Nigeria not to promote LGBT forms of sexual orientation in the light of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2015 together with the staunch condemnation by the religious public, there has always been the call by the Nigerian human rights practitioners that LGBT persons be treated with compassion. And where necessary be given help, counseling and understanding to enable them respect the sexual values of the Nigerian society.

“Consequently, it must be noted that however reprehensible a behaviour may appear to the Nigerian public, it can only punishable if it is defined by a written law.

“Therefore, if all what those young people who have been arrested in Delta State have done, was to carry out cross-dressing for the purposes of entertainment and identity fashion, then they have not committed any offence and should be immediately released from police detention.

“If however the the Nigerian Police finds them culpable in any way, then they must be allowed access to legal representation and granted bail or immediately charged to court. The Nigeria Police must immediately desist from the unprofessional conduct of punishing them with opprobrium by parading them in the media before they are either charged to court or released on bail.”

Same-sex is forbidden under Nigerian law.

In January 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan assented to the anti-gay bill from the House of Assembly.

It stipulates a 14-year jail term for anyone found guilty of sleeping with the same sex by a court of competent jurisdiction.