Court grants N5m bail to 69 suspected gay wedding attendees in Delta state

Sixty-nine individuals suspected of being involved in a same-sex wedding ceremony on August 27 in Ekpan Community, Uvwie Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta, have been released on bail.

Their legal representative, Ochuko Ohimor, informed the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Warri that they were granted bail upon payment of N500,000 and with two sureties for each individual. Ohimor specified that the sureties need to reside within the Effurun jurisdiction as per the court’s requirements.

He further mentioned that the suspects were obliged to sign an undertaking at the State High Court of Justice in Effurun, Uvwie LGA, where they were previously arraigned on September 4.

Vincent Orarumen, the police prosecutor, objected to the bail conditions. Nevertheless, their defense attorney argued that the alleged offense was not a capital crime.

The suspects were publicly presented on August 29 at the Ekpan Police Station at the request of the Delta State Commissioner of Police (CP), Wale Abass, following their arrest by a specialized team of police officers from the Ekpan Division during the said gay wedding ceremony, which they referred to as an “all white party.”