Seven suspected homosexuals standing trial at the
Upper Court 4 in Anguwa Jaki in Bauchi were pelted with stones and almost
lynched by an angry mob.
The incident, which caused commotion in the area,
happened on Wednesday around 1.44pm.
It took the intervention of security personnel to
rescue the seven endangered suspects. They fired gunshots into the air and used
canisters to disperse the mob.
The angry mob then hurled stones at the van
carrying them as it sped dangerously back to prison. A few people sustained
injuries in the fracas.
The suspects were Usman Sabo, Ibrahim Marafa, Shehu Adamu, Yusuf Adamu, Aliyu Dalhatu, Abdulmalik Tanko and Hazif Sabo Abubakar.
They are facing charges of allegedly engaging in
gay activities in Bauchi State, an action that contravenes the Islamic laws
which the state is operating.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna
Mohammed, said the suspects were arrested by the Bauchi State Shariah
Commission.
The atmosphere around the court was tense as the
suspects came out of the court to mount the Nigerian Prison Service Hilux van
which conveyed them to court.
No sooner had they filed to mount the van than
the mob started reacting by reigning abuses and pelting them with stones.
The heavily armed prison wardens had to fire
gunshots to disperse the crowd.
There was pandemonium as the Sharia Judge, Yakubu
Aliyu, journalists and lawyers scampered for safety.
Earlier, inside the rowdy court, counsel to the
Shariah commission, Danlami Ayuba, told the court that one of the
suspects, Marafa, was the principal of Government Secondary School
Mainamaji.
When the case was slated for hearing of
witnesses, counsel to the suspects, Abdul Musa, pleaded he was not ready and
sought bail for his clients.
The presiding judge, El-Yaqub Aliyu, refused to
grant the bail and adjourned till Monday, January 27, 2013.
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