Man declared after arrested lover names him in police confession

In a harrowing twist of love, betrayal, and survival, 34-year-old Omoregie Emmanuel has been declared wanted by Nigerian authorities after his arrested lover, under intense police interrogation, confessed to their same-sex relationship and named him as his partner.

Emmanuel, a native of Oredo Local Government Area in Benin, Edo State, narrowly escaped what would have been a life-shattering arrest during a brutal police raid on August 27, 2023. The raid took place at TEEBILOS Hotel in Effurun, Warri, Delta State, where a private gay ceremony was underway. Frank, his partner, along with several others, was not so lucky and was arrested at the scene.

As investigations deepened, Frank reportedly crumbled under relentless police pressure and confessed to their relationship, implicating Emmanuel directly. That confession transformed Emmanuel from an unintended fugitive into a wanted man, hunted by law enforcement determined to make an example of him.

In Nigeria, where same-sex relationships are criminalized with penalties of up to 14 years in prison, Emmanuel’s situation became immediately perilous. Once merely a survivor of circumstance, he is now a marked man, with his name circulated among police networks as a wanted suspect.

Frank is believed to have first met Emmanuel in 2002 at Western Boys High School. What began as a quiet friendship blossomed over the years into a deep, if hidden, bond — one that defied the oppressive climate surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals in the country.

Sources close to Emmanuel reveal that he has since gone underground, evading capture as he contemplates his next move amidst an intensifying manhunt.

 His story underscores the brutal realities faced by LGBTQ+ Nigerians, who live each day under the shadow of harsh laws and the ever-present threat of exposure.