By Ovie Okpare
Operatives of the Police Command in Delta State, weekend, arrested suspected gay couple and their guests during a gay wedding ceremony.
The wedding was holding at a popular hotel (name withheld) along Commissioner Road, off busy Refinery Road, Ekpan town in Uvwie, Delta State, when the police bursted the event.
Hundreds of guests were in attendance to celebrate the gay couple in the ceremony when the police team invaded the scene.
NIGER DELTA TODAY Online reliably learned the wedding was underway when the police team from Ekpan Divisional Headquarters in Uvwie stormed the venue.
Over a hundred suspects were nabbed in the raid, but after profiling and preliminary interrogations, about 40 were released, others including the gay couple held in police custody.
Security sources told our correspondent that some powerful individuals have been mounting pressure on the police to release the suspects, but the authorities insists on prosecution of the suspects to face the wrath of the anti-gay law.
It was also gathered that some rights activists believed to be members of the gay community were also intensifying the pressure on the police to free the suspects.
The police, according to our sources, have vowed to prosecute the suspects to serve as a deterrent to others.
One of our sources told NIGER DELTA TODAY Online that the owner of the hotel who gave out the reception hall was on the run as some hotel staff were arrested.
The suspects, it was further learnt, might be paraded by the police soon.
A source in Abuja told our correspondent that Acting Inspector General of Police and Delta State Police Commissioner were aware of the development and are “very much interested in the case”.
“The gay wedding was already underway when police operatives stormed the venue. The couple and many others were arrested. They were first arrested to Ekpan Divisional Headquarters but I can’t tell if they are still there.
“As I speak to you, the owner of the hotel which is under lease is on the run. Some powerful individuals have been mounting pressure on the police to release them on bail.
“The matter is even beyond the commissioner of police, the IGP is interested in the matter”, one of the sources told NIGER DELTA TODAY Online on Monday.
Findings by this medium revealed that activities of homosexual have been on a rise in Uvwie, Warri and neighbouring towns.
Efforts to get an official confirmation from the Spokesman, Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, proved abortive as repeated calls to his line did not connect.
But multiple security sources confirmed the incident on anonymity.
I am very happy the police swing into action and apprehended the culpritsit who are out to desecrate our culture, this act is sacrilegious and perpetrator must be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.