By Philip Ezuma, Port Harcourt
The disappearance of an alleged homosexual suspect has caused a whole lot of chaos and restiveness in Uromi community in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo state.
32-year old Ojiealenbhole Hope and his partner in crime, Abdulahi Abubakar, aged 26, were caught in the act on July 14, by the youths of the community.
The Chairman of the community Mr Vincent Ehilebo, while talking with our correspondent in Port Harcourt yesterday, noted that, but for his intervention, the youths were about to kill them.
“The action of Ojiealenbhole and his associate was a total violation of the sacredness of our land, and such an abomination in the community and criminal offence, according to Nigerian extant laws,” he said.
Ehilebo disclosed that the suspects escaped death by a hair breath, following his timely arrival at the scene and intervention.
“I’m in Port Harcourt in search of him, having been informed via intelligence report, that he is there. His crime partner, has already been arrested by the Niger state police command,” he submitted.
The Chairman regretted that, as he took home the suspects for private investigation, in lieu of presentation to the community for interrogation, they tricked him out and vanished.
” As a result of this, Ojiealebhole Hope has been declared wanted by the police and the Community, and anybody who sees or knows his whereabouts should report to the nearest police station or the community chairman.”
He regretted that the the deadline the youths and entire community gave to bring the men for questioning and prescribed punishments, if found guilty, was near expiration and they may burn his compound and banish him from the community.
Ehilebo said that the subsequent disappearance of the man has been reported to both Edo and Rivers states police commands.
He warned youths to desist from evil and rather busy themselves with gainful employments, rather than being idle.