On 18th February Nigerian citizen Akkinifesi Oluide Olubunmi passed on after being attacked and viciously beaten the previous day. Akkinifesi was sent to an early grave by a mob that lynched him on suspicions of being gay. The media has since been awash with pictures of his bloodied body in hospital causing an uproar in the not only the community but continent at large.
One Ogbeni Ade Omo Ade, a homophobe wrote on his facebook “End of a gay! This will serve as a lesson to all the people that loves engaging in bisexual,homosexual,lesbianism and gay. Akinnifesi was a guy that everybody in the community thought was a responsible person not until his secret was revealed when he was caught hands down with honourable Dotun who was a serving supervisory councillor in Ondo west local government in Ondo state he was beating mercilessly by Ondo youths that saw everything bad in a mandating a man he was rushed to the hospital but he later died of internal bleeding due to the mob beating the honourable has commited a lot of atrocities by engaging in bisexual activities he is still on the run although his properties has being destroyed his house and family’s house has being burned down this should serve as a great lesson to all youths!”
In light of this incident, global LGBT leaders have sworn not to remain silent and are going ahead with a campaign to stand in solidarity with Nigeria’s LGBTI community. The community has also taken to social media where they are changing their profile pictures to one hashtagged @IAMAKIN, as a way of taking a stand against the wave of violence and homophobia in the West African country.
Peter Adeosun, a Physian in Nigeria also took to his facebook to narrate the unfortunate incident that led to Akkinifesi’s passing as well as castigate the thousands that took to social media to gloat about the occurrence. “In Ondo State, a mob descended on a guy because he was gay. They beat him to a pulp & he was rushed to the hospital but he died of internal bleeding in the hospital. His gay partner who is a popular politician escaped for dear life & they’ve gone about destroying his properties. Then fools trooped to social media to gloat about the guy’s death & celebrate their society’s holy cleansing. Two of such fools even went to the late guy’s Facebook wall to write this nonsense & post his gory pictures. And they said we should all learn a lesson from the mob action. No wonder someone said we’re in a zoo.
I’m not a homosexual. I’m even not supposed to tell you as it’s not your business. What I do in my privacy is my problem, not yours. I’m telling you so that you will put what I want to say in a proper perspective.
We’re a sorry lot around here. Before the religions from the Arab Peninsula arrived, historical records told us that Africans were gays & they weren’t disturbed by their fellow Africans. Now the imported religions have twisted our reasoning & turned us to fierce brutes. Of course, both the Bible & the Quran advise that homosexuals be stoned dead. These Africans here have only carried out what they read in the scriptures imposed upon them by the foreigners.The antigay law enacted in Nigeria was the height of insanity. And do you know that it was the fastest law ever passed by our national assembly? And yes, ever since we made the law, our economy, health, infrastructure & security have improved immensely.
And this is why I somehow believe that organized religion has a way (even if only subliminal) of making people lose their humanity & morality. Most religious people I interacted with concerning the antigay law (& that includes the so-called moderate Muslims) have either been in total support of the draconian law or been indifferent about it. That tells you what happens to people when they embrace a religious ideology. In contrast, no single irreligious person that I know of has been anything but against the law. You see the difference now?
All the countries where homosexuality is criminalized are less developed than the countries where homosexuality is decriminalized. If that doesn’t tell you something, then I don’t know how to help you. Nigeria is a country of bigots, hypocrites, & religious extremists, just like most fellow underdeveloped countries the world over. Why a country of extremists is complaining about extremism baffles me. Is it out of place that we have Boko Haram?
I still do not understand how what two consenting adults do with each other should incur the wrath of a progressive society. And I will never understand it. I’m sorry for the dead guy & I wish that his family members (if they’re not homophobic idiots too) have the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. And as for these idiots, let them continue. The days of their predominance are numbered,” Adesoun went on to say.
