By Chioma Nwankwo
Abakaliki, Ebonyi State
Panic gripped the Presco Campus area of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) on April 19 after two male students were attacked by a mob over accusations of engaging in a same sex act.
The incident occurred at a private hostel near the campus, reportedly triggered by a neighbor who allegedly caught the two students in an amorous position.
The alarm raised by the neighbor quickly attracted a crowd of angry students and youths in the community, who stormed the hostel, dragged the two students outside and onto the street, where they were severely beaten.
Eyewitnesses said the victims were ruthlessly assaulted.
“They kept shouting that they were cleansing the land,” one observer told SpringNews. “It was chaos raw anger disguised as morality.”
In the midst of the commotion, one of the accused reportedly escaped and has not been seen since.
The other student was not as fortunate. He was severely beaten by the mob before being rescued by vigilante members, who handed him over to the police.
SpringNews also learned that, during the attack, the rescued student allegedly confessed to being introduced to same-sex relations during his early university years and admitted to initiating others.
Speaking with SpringNews, a chaplain attached to the campus’ Catholic Church who witnessed part of the incident but pleaded anonymity condemned the attack in the strongest terms.
“What happened was a tragedy rooted not in faith, but in fear and fury,” he said. “As a chaplain, I’ve counseled many students battling with guilt, confusion, and secrecy. What they need is understanding, not brutality.
“Scripture commands us to speak the truth in love. What I witnessed was not righteous anger it was hatred unleashed. Even if someone is in error, there are proper channels. Mob justice is not one of them.
“I pray for the healing of the injured, the safety of the missing, and a return to a campus environment where mercy not violence defines us.”
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report, as calls and messages to his phone went unanswered.
While the attack occurred in Ebonyi, activists and rights observers have linked such incidents to a growing climate of fear across Nigeria following the reinforcement of the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, which criminalizes same-sex relationships with penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment.
“Before, we were careful. Now, we’re terrified,” said Adeola Olatunji, a gay man based in Lagos. “People feel entitled to punish us. The law told them they could.”
Rights groups have reported a rise in vigilante violence and mob attacks since the law came into force, with many victims too afraid to speak out.