School principal, 6 other homosexuals stoned in Bauchi court

There was pandemonium at the Upper
Court 4 in Anguwan Jaki, Bauchi State, yesterday,
as an angry mob almost lynched seven suspected
homosexuals brought to court for trial.
One of the suspects was identified as the Principal
of a Government Secondary School in the state.
The development forced security personnel at the
court premises to rescue the suspects by firing
gunshots in the air and using teargas to disperse
the mob.
The suspects are Ibrahim Marafa, Shehu Adamu,
Yusuf Adamu, Aliyu Dalhatu, Abdulmalik Tanko,
Usman Sabo and Hazif Sabo Abubakar.
The angry mob hurled stones at the van carrying
them as it sped dangerously back to prison. A few
people sustained injuries in the process.
The suspects faced charges of allegedly engaging
in gay activities in Bauchi State, an action that
contravenes the Islamic laws which the state is
operating.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna
Mohammed, said the suspects were arrested by the
Bauchi State Sharia Commission.
The atmosphere around the court was tense as the
suspects came out of the court with the mob
reigning abuses and pelting them with stones.
Earlier, inside the rowdy court, counsel to the Sharia
Commission, Danlami Ayuba, told the court that one
of the suspects was identified as Ibrahim Marafa,
the Principal of Government Secondary School,
Mainamaji.
When the case was slated for hearing, counsel to
the suspect, Abdul Musa, said he was not ready and
sought for bail for his client to enable them study
the charges. The bail application was rejected by
the counsel to the Sharia commission.
The presiding judge, El-Yaqub Aliyu, refused to
grant the bail and adjourned the case till Monday to
enable the prosecutors present their witness.
Similarly the State Sharia Commission counsel
paraded six other suspects. When their case was
mentioned, the presiding judge cautioned the Sharia
commission’s counsel to ensure that they had
proper evidence on the accused persons before
arraigning them.