Tension gripped the Mayma Avenue area of Benin City, Edo State, after a same-sex scandal involving two married men erupted in the community, sparking outrage and a determined manhunt for one of the suspects.
The incident occurred on Thursday, March 14, 2024, when Aminu Teslim and his close friend, Oyekanmi Abiola, were caught in a homosexual act inside Aminu’s residence.
According to an eyewitness, the scandal broke after Aminu’s wife, Hajiya Ameera, who had long suspected unusual intimacy between her husband and Oyekanmi, secretly monitored his phone messages and uncovered evidence of their relationship.
“My husband barely touched me anymore. I became suspicious and decided to wiretap his phone. That was when I discovered he had been sleeping with his so-called friend, Mr Oyekanmi, who happens to be my best friend’s husband,” Ameera lamented.
The situation escalated when members of the community stormed the house and reportedly caught the duo in the act. While Aminu a Hausa man frim the North was apprehended and later handed over to the police, Oyekanmi narrowly escaped after reportedly being beaten by angry residents.
The Edo State Police Command confirmed that explicit evidence retrieved from Aminu’s phone points to Oyekanmi’s involvement and warned that he would be arrested and prosecuted once located.
The Muslim community in Benin, led by Imam Abu Ibn’Saidu, has vowed not to relent in the search for Oyekanmi, insisting that he must face punishment similar to Aminu’s under Islamic law for violating Quranic injunctions.
“Oyekanmi may be on the run, but we will not rest until he is brought to justice. The act is abominable and unacceptable in Islam,” Imam Saidu told newsmen.
Same-sex relationships remain illegal under Nigerian law, with offenders facing prison terms of 10 to 14 years if convicted. Police have appealed to the public for information on Oyekanmi Abiola, described as a Yoruba man from Ibadan, Oyo State, to report to the nearest police station.
