It was a bad day yesterday for gays in two northern Nigerian states as the war against same-sex relations gathers momentum.

In Bauchi State, a mob almost lynched seven suspected homosexuals brought to the Upper Court 4 in Anguwan Jaki for trial if not for the timely intervention of security personnel at the court premises who fired gunshots in the air and used teargas to disperse the mob.

The suspects are Ibrahim Marafa (Principal of Government Secondary School, Mainamaji, Shehu Adamu, Yusuf Adamu, Aliyu Dalhatu, Abdulmalik Tanko, Usman Sabo and Hazif Sabo Abubakar.

“The angry mob hurled stones at the van carrying them as it sped dangerously back to prison. A few people sustained injuries in the process. The suspects faced charges of allegedly engaging in gay activities in Bauchi State, an action that contravenes the Islamic laws which the state is operating,” says a Vanguard report.

It quotes the Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna Mohammed, as saying that the suspects were arrested by the Bauchi State Sharia Commission.

“The atmosphere around the court was tense as the suspects came out of the court with the mob reigning abuses and pelting them with stones,” according to the report.

Meanwhile, in Benue State, herbalist Tarvhi Nyitse, was remanded in prison custody for alleged homosexuality by a Makurdi Magistrates Court.

Prosecutor James Zungwe told the court that one Terzungwe Yev reported Nyitse, 30 and a resident of Naka in Gwer West Local Government Area, to ‘D’ Division Police Station on Jan 16.

Yev told the police that Nyitse raped him when he accompanied him to the bush to get some herbs after the accused, who claimed that he could cure his (Yev’s) sick mother, asked him to follow him to get the herbs with which to prepare the medicine.

Nyitse is, however, charged with unnatural offence punishable under Section 284 of the Penal Code rather than under Nigeria’s recently signed anti-gay law which prescribes upwards of 14 years in jail for same-sex relations.