In Nigeria, LGBTQ is a crime as enshrined in Nigeria constitution and this has made life of active lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders to be in danger. Security agents and the general public often arrest and hunt perceived LGBTQ individuals and prosecute them for engaging in such unlawful act.
LGBTQ individuals in Nigeria are invisible and constantly hiding to avoid been arrested but an anonymous source told our correspondent of what transpired in November 2024, of a story of how one Okonkwo Okechukwu Maurice who based in Canada opened up about his sexuality.
In his words “I am Okonkwo Okechukwu Maurice, 48 years old, from Imo State, Nigeria, and a bisexual. I grew up in a Christian home and also in a country (Nigeria) where LGBTQ is not legalized. I realized I am a bisexual at 20 and since then I have been living in fear because telling my family was never an option.
“My life became more difficult when I got married in 2013 knowing fully well that it would be more difficult hiding my sexuality from her. So I was struggling with keeping my status away from my wife, family and from the law of my country.
In 2023, I decided to let my wife know and at first, she was short of words but later she said ” WHO AM I TO JUDGE YOU”. Telling my wife was the hardest thing to do but I felt so relieved with her response. And now that I am in Canada, I am so glad that I can live my life as a bisexual without the fear of being jailed in Nigeria for who I really am.
Currently, OKONKWO OKECHUKWU MAURICE’S life is in danger and will certainly be sentenced to death by stoning if he returns home, as tradition of the community demands.
