A 29-year-old man, Uchenna Maduakor, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of homosexuality levelled against him.
Maduakor
was accused of having unlawful sexual intercourse with his roommate,
one Veneginus
Onyelu, in their one-room apartment at 5a, Ojo-Oba Street,
Lagos Island.
It was learnt that Maduakor, Onyelu and two other people share the apartment.
the incident happened on September 16, 2014 while they were
asleep. Three of the room occupants were said to be in the room at the
time of the incident.
One of the
roommates was said to have gone out to urinate at about 2am, when
Maduakor allegedly took advantage of his being alone with Onyelu to
commit the act.
Onyelu was said to be
fast asleep and was not aware of what was going on until Maduakor was
allegedly caught in the act by the other roommate.
Maduakor
was arraigned before Magistrate L. A. Owolabi of the Lagos Magistrate’s
Court, Tinubu, Lagos Island. The prosecutor, Corporal Okere Francisca,
said the offence contravened Section 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos
State of Nigeria 2011.
The charge
read in part, “That you, Uchenna Maduakor, on September 16, 2014, at
about 2am, at 5a, Ojo-Oba Street, Lagos Island in the Lagos Magisterial
District, did unlawfully have carnal knowledge of one Veneginus Onyelu
by penetrating sexually through his anus without his consent.”
Maduakor
told the court that he was drunk that night and did not know what
happened. According to him, he was surprised when he was told that he
did a thing like that. “I did not do it, I did not make love to him,” he
said.
He was granted bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum, while the case was adjourned till November 11, 2014.
