On Thursday, the Ondo State Police Command brought 23-year-old cross-dresser and content creator Taiwo Austine before an Akure Chief Magistrate’s Court, charging him with allegedly participating in homosexual activities.
Austine was arraigned alongside two other individuals, Haris Abubakar, aged 25, and Matthew Ogwu, aged 32, on a three-count charge related to conspiracy and homosexuality.
The prosecutor, Inspector Abayomi Jejeniwa, informed the court that the accused, along with others still at large, were apprehended in Akure last month following investigations that allegedly confirmed their involvement in homosexual acts.
Jejeniwa further alleged that between April 15 and 17, the defendants were discovered to have engaged in acts deemed unnatural for human beings.
The charge sheet partly reads: “That you, Haris Abubakar ‘m’, Austine Taiwo ‘m’, Ogwu Mathew ‘m’ and one other at large, between the 15th and 17th day of April, 2025, at Akure in the Akure Magisterial District, did conspire together to commit felony, to wit: homosexuality.
“That you, Haris Abubakar ‘m’ and Austine Taiwo ‘m’ and one other at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, were found to be gay, engaging in a homosexual act which is unnatural for human beings.
“That you, Ogwu Mathew ‘m’, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did attempt to engage in a homosexual act which is unnatural for human beings.”
The prosecution stated that the offences violate Sections 516, 214, and 215 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, Nigeria, 2006, and are punishable under these provisions.
However, the defendants entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
Following their plea, Jejeniwa requested a trial date to allow him to gather two prosecution witnesses and prepare his case.
The defence counsel, A.W. Lawoye, appealed to the court to grant the defendants bail on lenient terms, contending that the charges were still mere allegations.
Magistrate B.A. Alphonso adjourned the case to August 11 for bail consideration and directed that the defendants remain in police custody until the hearing.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
