Nigerian gay rights activist, Bisi Alimi, has reacted to the arrest of 57 suspected homosexuals who were allegedly being initiated into the act of homosexuality.
The Lagos State Police Command on Monday paraded the homosexuals arrested during a raid on a hotel in the Egbeda area of the state.
Addressing journalist at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja, Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, said the men were going through an initiation when they were arrested.
In a post to Instagram on Tuesday, Bisi stated that the idea of a gay initiation party is a lack of responsibility from the Nigerian police.
“The idea that there is a “gay party” or a “gay initiation party” is nothing but lack or responsibilities from the part of our police and government.”
He also said that the majority of the people arrested were a victim of their poverty.
“Those innocent people are a victim of their poverty. Whether they are gay or not is not the issue, the issue is, they are poor and they will pay the highest price for being poor in a country that celebrates stolen wealth,” he wrote.
Bisi, a University of Lagos graduate, became the first Nigerian gay man to appear on Nigerian national television as a guest on New Dawn with Funmi, a talk show on the NTA.
He confirmed his homosexuality on the show and asked for acceptance from the public.
His decision to come out of the closet generated both admiration and death threats.
Consequently, Alimi was disowned by his family and most of his friends – including some in the gay community – and ejected from his home.
He subsequently relocated to the UK.
