Growing up in a homophobic and conservative country like Nigeria definitely not going easy for the LGBT persons, as well as “Nosakhare Amusa,” a gay Nigerian talented artist, who gives a recount of the torture he faced in his home town by members of his family and mobs and how he has been on the run since then.
Nosa's ordeal started as a result of being caught in the act with his younger friend Temi, whom they have been friends for the past nine years.
“Temi and I started from our secondary school days. We started forming a great bond when we discovered that we were the only different males with the same sexual orientation. I was older than Temi with 4 years, as he also was my junior in school. We eventually became closer when, his parents relocated to my neighborhood at Ihama road, GRA, Benin City.”
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“Since an occasion his mum caught us in an awkward position, she ask me never to come to their house again. We struggled with the situation with fear and confusion for many months, but it was not clear to us that we were different from most people, for being effeminate.”
On September 26th, 2016 at Temi house. Nosa was caught naked in the act with Temi while Temi’s mum hid and watched them closely.
“Suddenly I saw her standing right next to us, followed by Temi’s brother and his friends. The next thing I heard was “Abomination!” as Temi’s mum shouted out of proportion. I saw rains of blows and from everywhere, before I knew what was happening the boys in the community have gathered around already with sticks and cutlass.”
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“It was not too long that the vigilante got notified and we were taking for interrogation and there my father showed up to make an open statement that he disowned me that he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me again.”
“There after the neighborhood thugs started to raise noise that they have to walk Temi and Nosa naked before the whole community or else be lynched by the angry mobs as he continue to recount. The vigilante then handed us over to the community thugs, who then stated to beat us and mal-handled us while taking us round the Oredo community.”
Thoughts of escaping came to his mind after he got the news they we were going to be taken to the Police station the next day.
Nosa said; “In the middle of the night I managed to escape from the vigilantes and ran as fast as I could to the next community where I got an assistance to get me to Lagos. Several thoughts started raging on my mind as I remembered Temi and what possibly could be happening to him. I remembered my mother and father as well and tears started gushing out from my eyes as I became so depressed about my whole life. Faced with the reality of fending for myself while my education now at stand still. I wept as I journeyed to Lagos.”
“Getting to Lagos, I started fending for myself, and had to take up odd jobs to survive. At night I would sleep at the bus-stop terminals and during the day look out for odd jobs to survive with. Sometimes I would see someone that resembles my father and sudden fear would take all over me, like the world was coming to an end. I often ask myself, Can I ever have peace again?”
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