By Victoria Mgbegbu
Two suspected homosexuals identified as Ihemeje Divine and Callistus Chibueze Alagba, have escaped lynching following beatings they got from youths and local vigilante officials in Ebonyi State.
Chibueze who was reportedly caught in the homosexual act with his accomplice, Divine in a club at Presco Campus by youths of the community, escaped after being beaten and was almost set ablaze for the act.
SpringNews gathered from an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity that Callistus and Divine who were undergraduate students in the Department of Industrial Chemistry, were ambushed in their hostel on April 19, 2014 after a neighbor raised Alarm of their abominable act.
He narrated that the alarm raised signaled the men of the vigilante in the varsity and drew attention of passerby who rushed into the room and dragged the two young men from their room, beat them with sticks and belts, and left in critical condition.
Chinedu Okafor, an occupant in the hostel told our correspondent that, “The mob was ruthless. They kept shouting about cleansing the school of sin. By the time security arrived, the boys were barely conscious.
” No one knew what to do. People were either too scared to intervene or joined in. Afterward, nobody saw when one of them escaped.” Okafor stated.
He stated that one of the accomplice, Callistus Chibueze Alagba fled the scene and was declared wanted by the vigilante in January, 2014, and has not been seen since the incident.
Okafor disclosed that Chibueze fled to an unknown country tho he was not aware of the ban being lifted.
He said the arrested suspect, Ihemeje Divine, confessed that he has been into the act of homosexuality since 2013 after one Emmanuel Okeke introduced him to it.
In an interview with pressmen, Divine said he had introduced over 50 youths to the act including Chibueze, but luck ran out on them when in their passionate fun, neighbors heard their moans and alerted the local vigilante.
He regretted being caught in the act and prayed that his friend and lover, Chibueze stays safe after he got away and was no where to be found by security operatives.
However, efforts by our correspondent to get the reaction of the Police Public Relations Officer, failed as he did not pick calls put to his mobile.