Sixty-nine gay suspects apprehended on August 27 in the Ekpan community, Uvwie LGA in Delta, during a gay wedding ceremony have been granted bail.
Counsel to the suspects, Ochuko Ohimor, stated on Tuesday in Warri that they were to provide N500,000 and two sureties each as the conditions for bail. According to Mr Ohimor, the sureties must reside within the Effurun jurisdiction of the court.
He added that the suspects must sign an undertaking at the Effurun Division of the Delta State High Court, where they were earlier arraigned on September 4.
“The suspects were granted bail at a cost of N500,000 and two sureties each. The sureties must reside within the Effurun jurisdiction,” said Mr Ohimor.
Police prosecutor Vincent Orarumen had opposed the bail condition, but their lawyer argued otherwise, saying the alleged crime was not a capital offence.
The suspects were paraded on August 29 at the Ekpan Police Station at the instance of the police commissioner Wale Abass. They were arrested while allegedly conducting a gay wedding ceremony tagged ‘all white party’.
“I can guarantee that they will be charged to court. We are not taking it lightly. It is a clear case, though, they are still presumed innocent until proven otherwise by the competent court,” Mr Abass had said following the arrest.
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