A Nigerian man simply known as Emmanuel Anyanwu, is seeking asylum in Germany, over threat to his life after being found to be gay.
Narrating his ordeal to this Newspaper, Anyanwu said he was involved in a fight with a rival gay group in a night club in Ketu Lagos, on December 25,2012, of which the police was later involved.
You would recall that on 13 January 2014, president Goodluck Jonathan signed into law the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, which parliament passed in May 2013.
The law clearly states among other things, that a person who “registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisation, or directly or indirectly make public show of same sex amorous relationship in Nigeria” is liable for 14 years’ imprisonment.
It is noteworthy that the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act criminalises all forms of same-sex unions and same-sex marriage throughout the country.
The 35 years old man who gave the name of his partner as Chidiebere, noted that he ran for his life to Germany, when the police arrested the other rival group.
According to him, “I used to sell shoes in Onitsha before I had problems with my supplier of goods because I couldn’t pay him as a result of being owed by customers. He started to threaten my life which led to me leaving Onitsha for Lagos.
“I was first accused of being gay in 2010 and subsequently arrested but later released because they had no strong evidence against me but the 2012 incidence was the one that confirmed their stand that I was actually gay, which led to my running away from the country” he said.
Anyanwu who said he entered Germany in 2014 through Niger, Algeria route, noted that he was asked to get his passport for onward repatriation, but would not want to go back home to Nigeria, as his life is in danger.
“I spent two weeks in Niger Republic, one month in Algeria, three weeks in Turkey, more than one year in Bulgaria, two days in Serbia, three weeks in Hungary, from there I entered Dutchland Germany in August 2014” he narrated.
He further lamented that his family members who were resident in Agatu Local government Area of Benue state, were victims of the Fulani/herders clash, which led them to flee, resulting to him not knowing their way about.
Anyanwu said, ” I Can’t go back to Nigeria because my family whom I will fall back to have been scattered,some killed and our family house razed down due to Fulani/ herdsmen crisis.
“I tried contacting my family but couldn’t get across to any of them only to be informed by a close neighbour that my family fell victim to the recent Fulani/ herdsmen crisis which led to my family being dispersed and family housed razed.
“Right now I have no trace of any of my family members so I have nobody to fall back to assuming I am being sent back to my country” he stressed.
Anyanwu who has seven siblings, is calling on the German Government to grant him asylum rather than send him back to Nigeria.
