Horror of Nigerian man beaten to death for being gay

A Nigerian man and father of three has died after being beaten by a mob who accused him of being gay and having a liaison with a local councillor.

According to unconfirmed reports, Akinnifesi Olumide Olubunmi was severely assaulted on 17 February by a group of youths in Ondo West.

He was taken to hospital but passed away the following day from internal injuries.

Horrific pictures have been posted online of the mortally wounded man, who is said to have been married with three children, covered in blood.

One homophobe, Ogbeni Ade Omo Ade, wrote on Olubunmi’s Facebook page: “End of a gay! This will serve as a lesson to all the people that loves engaging in bisexual, homosexual, lesbianism and gay.”

The councillor is believed to have fled the area, fearing for his life, while his home was set on fire by the mob.

Nigerian group Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) has condemned Olubunmi’s murder

“The attack on Mr Akinnifesi Olumide Olubunmi is barbaric, inhuman and a gross denial of his rights under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” said TIERs.

The group urged the local government, police and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the killing and bring the murderers to justice,

It also called “on all law-abiding Nigerians to condemn and speak out against jungle justice and other inhuman acts of violence by demanding justice for the late Mr Akinnifesi Olumide Olubunmi.

“The right to life of every Nigerian is sacrosanct irrespective of their class, status, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation,” said TIERs.

Nigeria – the most populous country in Africa – has some of the most repressive anti-LGBT legislation in the world.

A 2014 law prohibits same-sex marriage with a penalty of up to 14 years in prison and stipulates 10 years in jail for public displays of same-sex affection and 10 years for membership or support of LGBT groups.

Under colonial-era legislation, anyone found guilty of engaging in homosexual acts can be jailed for 14 years.

Muslims in twelve northern states in Nigeria also live under Islamic Sharia law, which allows homosexuality to be punished with death by stoning. Although this sentence is rarely carried out, those found guilty have recently most commonly been sentenced to public floggings.

UPDATE 16/03/2016: While this murder has yet to be confirmed by the authorities, there are reports that the images first linked to the story and included here are not related to the attack. Read more here.