Fugitive Stanley Williams caught in homosexual acts escapes, his where about unknown

By Osaze Obaze,

Security operatives on the trial of one Mr Stanley Williams, a 20-year-old boy who was allegedly caught with an unidentified sex partner having anal intercourse, an act considered a taboo in Okada, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, of Edo State.

The suspect, Mr Stanley Williams, is a native of Agoyoba in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Edo State, was born on February 28, 1996, and was considered a responsible and god-fearing young man until the incident of 29th of February 2016, that exposed him as a social misfit.

Advocate gathered that Mr Stanley Williams had invited his sex partner to after-birthday sex rum in a hotel room, luck, however, ran out of them as their long stay indoors arose suspicion of one of the workers who called in community youths and they were caught pants down.

The two fugitives luckily escaped through the window immediately and scaled the back fence before the rampaging youths could get hold of them and ran into the busy.

Advocate further gathered that the elders and leaders of Okada community declared a manhunt for the fleeing outlaws in order to bring them to book because only their blood can be used as a recompense for the sacrilege they have committed against the land.

When the community efforts to track Mr Stanley Williams and his partner failed, the community leaders reported the incident to security agencies, within the state and outside the state.

However, Advocate investigation revealed that at first, Mr Stanley Williams escaped to neighbouring country Niger, but since then everyone has lost his contact and his whereabout is unknown.

Recall that on January 7, 2014, Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Jonathan, signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill (SSMPA) into law.

The notional purpose of the SSMPA is to prohibit marriage between persons of the same sex. In reality, its scope is much wider. The law forbids any cohabitation between same-sex sexual partners and bans any “public show of same-sex amorous relationship.”

The SSMPA imposes a 10-year prison sentence on anyone who “registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organizations” or “supports” the activities of such organizations. Punishments are severe, ranging from 10 to 14 years in prison. Such provisions build on existing legislation in Nigeria but go much further: while the colonial-era criminal and penal codes outlawed sexual acts between members of the same sex, the SSMPA effectively criminalizes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

While existing legislation already criminalizes consensual same-sex conduct in Nigeria, it was discovered that the SSMPA, in many ways, officially authorizes abuses against LGBT people, effectively making a bad situation worse.

The passage of the SSMPA was immediately followed by extensive media reports of high levels of violence, including mob attacks and extortion against LGBT people.

Human rights groups and United Nations officials expressed grave concern about the scope of the law, its vague provisions, and the severity of punishments.

On February 5, 2014, following the passage of the SSMPA, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa noted with concern in a press release, “the increase in cases of physical violence, aggression, arbitrary detention and harassment of human rights defenders working on sexual minority issues.”

“Basically, because of this law [SSMPA], the police treat people in any way that they please. They torture, force people, to confess, and when they hear about a gathering of men, they just head over to make arrests.” Executive Director of an Abuja NGO, October 2015.

“Vigilante groups have added homosexuality to their “terms of reference.” These groups are organized by community members, given authorization by the community to maintain some sort of order and “security.” Executive Director of a Minna, Niger State NGO, October 2015.