Cross River State Government Apprehends Gay Party Organizers, Vows Comprehensive Crackdown on All Involved Parties

  

The Cross River State Government has confirmed more arrests of several individuals connected to the organization and execution of the gay party in Calabar on June 30, 2023. The event, which took place at a hotel in the Ekorinim area, has since then sparked widespread condemnation from both the government and law-abiding citizens of the state.  

The state has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on unlawful activities that contravene Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill, enacted in 2014 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. This law stipulates a 14-year prison sentence for anyone entering into a same-sex marriage or civil union and a 10-year sentence for those who abet, aid, witness, or facilitate the solemnization of such unions. 

The Cross River State Government has vowed to pursue the matter with utmost seriousness. “We are committed to upholding the laws of this state and ensuring that the moral fabric of our society is protected. We will not relent in our efforts to bring all individuals and groups connected to this act of moral and legal defiance to justice,” declared Senator Bassey Otu, the State Governor, during a press briefing earlier this week. 

Leading this enforcement effort is Elvert Ayambem, the Cross River House of Assembly Speaker who has been consistent in pursuing this matter when it was first reported, and Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General Mr. Ededem Charles Ani Esq, who has pledged the full support of the state’s legal system in ensuring that justice is served. Mr. Ededem, alongside key law enforcement officials and security operatives under the guidance of the State Security Service (SSS), has promised that those who facilitated, organized, and promoted this event will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted without bias or delay.  

According to the government’s intelligence reports, more of the individuals responsible for the organization of the party remain in hiding, and active efforts are being made to locate them. “...and we would apprehend them to show a deterrent to those who may still want to engage in such acts within our state”. Moreover, further investigation revealed that some of these suspects hold positions as employees of the State’s varsity, Cross River University of Technology Calabar, known now as the University of Cross River State Calabar, with the current administration of the institution cooperating fully with the government to ensure staff members involved are handed over to the authority and are doing so transparently in the ongoing probe. 

Governor Otu, in his statement, urged all citizens to assist security forces by reporting any information relating to same-sex relationships, parties, or activities that violate the provisions of the law. “We call on members of the public to support our efforts by remaining vigilant and forwarding credible information about those involved and anyone still nursing young people in this act to our security operatives. This is a collective effort to preserve the sanctity of our laws and uphold societal values,” he said. 

The government remains resolute in its stance: “No one is above the law, and we will ensure that every individual found to have breached the law is held fully accountable.”  

As this investigation continues, the Cross River State Government assures its citizens of swift action and transparency in its approach, signaling a firm resolve to ensure that those undermining public morals and violating the law are brought to justice.