Shock As Police Raid Alleged Gay Wedding In Warri, Arrest Guests

Authorities have shut down an event centre located in Uvwie, Warri Local Government Area of Delta State, following a police raid on a same-sex wedding ceremony hosted at the facility. Dozens of guests were arrested at the venue while others fled the scene and remain unaccounted for.

According to eyewitnesses, the wedding took place at night, with guests gathered to celebrate the union of two men identified as Daniel Pius and Maxwell Ohwonnohwo. 

The event reportedly turned chaotic when police arrived around 12:30am and began arresting attendees.

A security guard at the venue, who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the raid. He explained that the event was booked as a private party and that the management of the event centre was unaware it was a same-sex wedding.

"It was a night of celebration, with guests enjoying themselves. I noticed two men kissing and dancing together as if they were couple before the police arrived. Some guests managed to escape over the fence, while others hid in their vehicles, which the officers did not initially notice," the guard said.

He added that two individuals, identified as Thompson and his friend, Akanni Razaq, an Ibadan-based socialite escaped through a rear exit. "Akanni had been a frequent visitor to our centre. His friend Thompson lost his phone during the commotion, and we kept it for two days before handing it over to the police."

"Before handing over the phone, I copied down a few contacts because it wasn't passworded. Three weeks later, I called one of them and learned that Thompson had been tracked to Ibadan and arrested. I’m unsure of Akanni’s whereabouts," he added.

A visit to Akanni’s residence by our correspondent confirmed the incident. His wife declined to comment, and attempts to reach the police through a contact number she provided were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

Reports gathered that over 30 guests were arrested at the event, and authorities are still searching for others who fled during the raid.