A campaign has kicked off online to see to the release of the boys arrested on Saturday by the Nigerian Police. The campaign is a collaborative effort from All Out, Bisi Alimi Foundation and the Access to Health and Rights Development Initiative (AHRDI). It is a petition addressed to Abubakar Malami, the Nigerian Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation. It is a call to release the arrested persons and stop the arrests and persecution of Nigerians based on their perceived or actual sexual orientation.
Visit the All Out website to sign the petition. As at the time of this post, over 3,000 people have already signed in less than an hour of the campaign launch.
Also, following our update this morning, sources on the ground say that the 42 arrested persons could not appear in court today due to the death of a magistrate. However, there is a possibility that they will appear in court on Thursday; adding that a lot of Nigeria non-governmental organisations are working to ensure the safe release of the men. Our sources also added that the DPO at the Owode Onirin police station has been summoned over the previously released persons on bail.
There has also been another development to the story. Our sources say 10 persons who escaped the police raid on Saturday were captured by a Vigilante group in the Owode area as they tried to run. One of the persons captured escaped with the help of a local mechanic and a team is investigating the claims.
This is a developing story and we will update as we get more information. If anything changes, we will clarify and update accordingly.
