80 Suspected Gay Club Members Busted During Initiation
CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
The police in Lagos have uncovered and arrested about 80 suspected homosexuals during initiation rites to admit new members into the club in a popular event centre.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the initiation was taking place at Kelly Ann Hotel located at Aderele Street in Egbeda area of Lagos where they had gathered for the rites.
However, they were unlucky as the police busted the place and arrested the suspects while others escaped.
This was confirmed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edgal Imohimi, at the State Command, Ikeja, Lagos, where the suspects were paraded.
The police boss explained that the suspects were rounded up following the intelligence report that some youths (males) will be initiated into a gay club at the hotel early in the morning. He said consequent upon the information, police operatives led by the two Divisional Police officers of Shasha and Idimu stormed the place and arrested 57 of them while others escaped.
CP Edgal said that the police recovered assorted types of drinks including banned substances like Tramadol, Shisha laced with substances suspected to be marijuana.
He said that when the suspects sighted the police, they ran into different directions but the team was able to arrest the suspects.
The police boss said that the matter was still under investigation and the suspects will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigations. He also directed that the owner of the hotel be arrested to aid investigations on the matter.
When P.M.EXPRESS visited the hotel, the manager, Mr. Jimmy Sonupe, absolved the management of any complicity in the matter. He said that they were in the business of renting their hall for ceremonies including birthday celebrations which was what one of the suspects approached the management to use the hall for.
He said that they took all the security measures and approved the place for the party before the police stormed the place and disrupted the event. He explained that some women who also attended the party were not arrested. Contrary to the allegation by the police, the manager of the hotel, Mr. Sonupe, reiterated that the management knew nothing about the activities of the suspects except using the place for party.
However, some of the paraded suspects denied their involvement in any gay activity on that day. Some admitted that they were given false impression that if they joined the gay club, that the sponsors will procure visas for the members to travel abroad for greener pastures.