Benin City Police Command has arrested a male teenager, Adefemi Dayo, who was reportedly caught in an intimate relationship with another teenager, Ebehitale Anegbeode Moses (male).
A photo of them kissing in their school restroom was presented to the police by one Daniel, their former classmate.
While Dayo is in police custody, Moses Anegbeode could not be found.
Moses’s mother, Ms. Omosede Izevbihen, who was questioned by the police, stated that she was aware her son and his friend were being blackmailed by the said Daniel.
“Dayo’s parents and I paid him (Daniel) the ₦8,000 he asked for and pleaded with him to delete the photo, which he agreed to. But to my surprise, I was called in by the police months later for questioning about the same issue,” Ms. Omosede Izevbihen said.
Adefemi’s family, devastated by his detention, told investigators that they too had been aware of the blackmail but never expected it would spiral into a police case.
“We thought paying Daniel would end the issue. Now our son is in police custody, and his friend Moses has disappeared. We are worried about what could happen next,” Adefemi’s father said.
Moses Anegbeode’s disappearance has stirred tension, with rights groups noting that Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage Act continues to expose young people to legal and physical danger. Suspects in such cases often face mob violence even before trial.
Attempts to obtain comments from the Edo State Police Command on whether Daniel will face extortion charges were unsuccessful at press time.
Meanwhile, Ebehitale Moses Anegbeode’s whereabouts remain unknown, heightening fears that he may have fled to escape arrest or mob attack.
For his mother and Dayo’s family, the unanswered question is whether he is safe, or if the next knock on the door will bring devastating news.