A court in Warri, Delta state, ruled on Tuesday that those being held would be freed after each posting 500,000 naira bail. State prosecutor, Vincent Orarumen opposed the move. The detainees, who did not appear in court, were also ordered to sign a register once a month until their next hearing, according to their lawyer Ochuko Ohimor.
The arrests happened after a tip-off in a police interrogation of someone who allegedly knew about the event, police said. Officers stormed a hotel in Ekpan where the alleged gay wedding was being held and initially arrested 200 people.
Police spokesman Edafe Bright said at the time: “The policemen chased and arrested… suspects both male and female for allegedly conducting and attending a same-sex wedding ceremony.” The spokesman added that homosexuality “will never be tolerated” in Nigeria.
Counsel for the suspects, Mr Ochuko Ohimor, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Warri that they were admitted to bail with the sum of N500,000 and two sureties each. According to Ohimor, the sureties must reside within the Effurun jurisdiction of the court.
He added that the suspects must sign an undertaking at the State High Court of Justice, Effurun, in Uvwie LGA, where they were earlier arraigned on September 4.
The suspects were paraded before newsmen on August 29 at the Ekpan Police Station at the instance of the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass. They were arrested by police operatives attached to the Ekpan Division while attending a party that they tagged, “All white party.”
