Married Woman Goes Into Hiding Over Same Sex Relationship, Fears Anti-LGBTQ Law

By Usman Bello

A Nigerian married woman identified as Mrs. Grace Anazia has gone into hiding for fear of being arrested and tried under the 2013 Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act which stipulates 14 years imprisonment for offenders.

The Act restricts Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) rights in Nigeria and entering into same sex marriage contract or civil union is punishable with prison term.

On 10th June, 2024 at about 7pm, a notable Islamic advocate, Mr. Sabo Yusuf allegedly organized a group of community youths, Sharia enforcement officers and the vigilante commander at Agbor in Delta State with a mandate to look out for Mrs. Anazia who was said to have lured his (Yusuf’s) daughter, Halima into same sex relationship. The matter was said to have been reported to the police who decided to go in search of the suspect.

The fleeing Mrs. Anazia, a mother of one boy, is a Christian while Sabo Yusuf’s Muslim family strongly detests such a relationship which is considered abominable.

Same 10th June, 2024 when Yusuf and his agents went in search of the suspected lesbian, they had stormed her parents’ family home and her husband’s family house, all located in the same Agbor community. Her brother Mr. Christopher Nkwor living in her family residence was reportedly met at home and the mob resorted to assaulting him as his sister’s whereabouts could not immediately be ascertained.

The whereabouts of Nkwor could not be ascertained when our reporter visited his family residence but a reliable source in the area said the young man was badly beaten and left with physical injuries and his car seriously damaged by the angry mob. It was gathered that the mob also went to Mrs. Anazia’s in-laws’ residence at Agbor where they caused violence and demanded to know her whereabouts.

It turned out that her husband Joachim Ifeanyi Anazia was at a different location at the time they arrived. They met only the mother-in-law at home. Though she was not physically assaulted but it was learnt that the trauma of seeing dreadful looking men, affected her health and she never recovered from the illness that befell her following the trauma. She reportedly died on 31st October, 2024.

Our investigation revealed that back in the days, Grace and Halima Yusuf had attended the same high school in Agbor and were hostel mates. They were said to be quite close to each other and did many things in common in spite of the difference in their religions.

Another anonymous female source in the area, married with two children, who claimed to have attended the same high school at the same time with Grace and Halima told our reporter that as hostel mates, Grace had some deep affection for Halima and was obviously nursing having a same sex relationship with her at that tender ages but she could not have the boldness to say so, due to the stern religious background of Halima’s parents.

Both parents were said to be highly respected personalities within the community particularly among the Muslim brotherhood. In addition, Mr. Yusuf has been a grassroot politician with large following irrespective of any political party he belongs to, any day. He has large influence in his community.

Meanwhile, investigation has revealed that cases of same sex relationship are on the increase in Nigeria in contemporary time and many religious organizations, concerned individuals and groups, working in collaboration with the police have resolved to nip any such act in the bud as far as the society is concerned.